Shattered: A Tale of Lost Faith
by Digidynasty
Summary: (COMPLETE) WARNING - Contains Spoiler - includes the end of the game) Lloyd and the heros who saved the world from Mithos have gone thier own ways. But circumstances have brought them back together again. Thier strength of will...tested.
1. Broken Promises

Author's Note: For those who submitted reviews for this story, an error occurred on FFN and I was forced to remove the story in order to upload my newest chapters. Though the reviews won't show up now, I read them all and you were all so encouraging, I know you will continue reading this because you love it so much. (Did that sound stuck up? Sorry!) Anyway, please, enjoy my newest chapter.

Broken Promises

_"Dwarven Vow #11: Lying is the first step to the path of thievery."_

Derris-Kharlan 

Lloyd fell to one knee and tried to catch his breath. His final battle against Mithos, formally Lord Yggdrasill, had been the toughest he and his companions had ever faced. Colette was just gathering herself and getting to her feet thanks to Professor Raine's healing magic. Genis, Lloyd's best friend since before the young warrior could remember, stood warily on his feet but appeared more or less unharmed. Thankfully, he had kept his distance and stuck to his magic, which Lloyd had to admit, had grown quite strong over the time of their adventure.

Regal and Presea received a few cuts and burns but nothing serious and both stood ready for whatever awaited them next. Sheena, her summoning powers being very helpful in battle, drained her mana almost to its limit, leaving her on the brink of collapse. Zelos, always nearby when a woman was involved, supported the Mizuho ninja under her arm. If the summoner had been fully conscious right then, she would've protested the close proximity the…cocky Chosen had with her. By the slight red tint that adorned her cheeks, Lloyd suspected she already knew.

The duel wielding sword master himself strongly felt the after effects of the battle against the Cruxis angel-lord. His head swam from being thrown around by Mithos' angelic attacks and blood dripped down from a gash on his arm. But he ignored his wounds and focused his attention on the transparent figure before him.

Part of him felt pity for the ill-treated half-elf turned angel. All the former proclaimed hero wanted was to be treated equally amongst others – human and elven alike. Unfortunately in the age Mithos grew up in, equality was but a far dream. So he had been driven to split the world and pit each new world, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, against one another for mana; all the while only being concerned with finding a suitable match for the revival of his sister, Martel.

As much as Lloyd and the others tried to convince him otherwise, Mithos believe he was alone in his struggle and without any goddess to draw strength from. He would not change his mind nor his ideals. Which left the group with only one choice.

_Why must it always come down to this?_ Lloyd hated the idea of ending anyone's existence. So many people had already perished: victims from the exspheres, Renegades, and the villagers from Iselia. When would it end?

Genis' plea from besides him brought his hand to the hilt of his sword. It just so happened to be the aqua-tinted blade that his adopted father had bestowed upon him. Now he would use it to finally put an end to everything.

"Farewell my shadow…" The presence of Mithos said. "You, who stand at the end of the path I chose not to follow. I wanted my own world, so I don't regret my choice. I would make the same choice all over again. I will continue to choose this path."

Raising the sword above his head, Lloyd brought it down on the floating red Cruxis Crystal, shattering it to pieces. The remnants seemed to flow into Lloyd's exsphere. Afterwards, his arms fell to his sides, slowly replacing the sword back in its sheath. "Mithos…you could have lived _with_ us…in our world. Damn it!" He said this quietly and mostly to himself, for he knew the soul who needed to hear it most would not be able to hear him at all.

As soon as the crystal disappeared, a red and blue light rose up in front of him and formed into the Eternal Sword. Slowly, Lloyd grasped it in both hands.

"The old master of the pact is no more. What does the new master of the pact ask of this sword?" Origin's voice asked from within the Eternal Sword.

Lloyd answered without hesitation. "Restore the true form of our two worlds!" Mithos' castle on Derris-Kharlan shook all around them when the Eternal Sword lit up on Lloyd's command. The youth held onto it for dear life as he felt the mana from his own body drain into the ancient weapon. His legs lost their strength and threatened to go out from beneath him, but he willed them to stand.

There was a bright flash and when Lloyd opened his eyes, he was once again on the planet's surface. The previous damage from the resurrection of the Great Kharlan Tree, as well as the collapse of the Tower of Salvation, was still evident across the land, but he could tell the battle for mana and subsequent inequality between the two worlds was no more. They were one in the same.

"Are we back?" Lloyd wondered. Just then a huge earthquake shook everyone and they struggled to stay on their feet. "What's going on!?"

One by one the physical manifestations of all nine summon spirits revealed themselves around the heroes: Celsius – Disciple of Everlasting Ice, Efreet – The Red Giant and Ruler of Hellfire, Sylph – Mistresses of Mighty Whirlwinds, Gnome – Servant of Mother Earth, Shadow – Envoy from the Dark Abyss, Volt – Hammer of Godly Thunder, Undine – Maiden of the Mist, Luna – Light of the Heavens, and Aska – the mighty protector of all.

Sheena frowned upon seeing them and stood up straight. "What are you all doing?"

Origin's voice answered her. "Your wish is granted…but there is no link. Without a link, the land will die."

Colette frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The world was originally separated into two worlds to prevent its destruction. If it returns to its true form, the world lacks the mana to support itself. The land…is dying."

Lloyd raised a fist defiantly. "I don't need to know _why_ it's dying. What do we need to do to stop it!?" He demanded.

"Support the two worlds by linking them with the Giant Tree. That is the only way to stop the destruction of the land." The King of Summon Spirits answered.

"I get it." The youth nodded his head.

Colette was near frantic besides him with worry. "Lloyd, hurry! You have to shine the mana of Derris-Kharlan on the Great Seed before Derris-Kharlan is too far away!"

Lloyd Irving tightened his hold on the Eternal Sword and grit his teeth in determination. "All right! I'm counting on you, Eternal Sword!"

"Derris-Kharlan is already at the edge of the gravitational field. Not even Yggdrasill…Mithos could stop this from happening. Do you still intend to try?" Origin asked.

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah."

The final summon spirit seemed to hesitate. "Even strengthened by your exsphere, it is likely that your body will not withstand the forces. Are you certain of your decision?"

"I said I'm doing it, so I'm doing it! It's not like I have a choice!" He felt wrong saying it like that because this whole time he was preaching to everyone that from the moment they were born, people have the right to live and no one should have to be sacrificed. But he also knew that if he didn't take this chance, all those who stood behind him now, those who had traveled with him and struggled through the same hardships he had, would not have a world to see after this.

Origin felt the determination of the boy and nodded. "Very well."

The Eternal Sword disappeared, but Lloyd could feel the failure in the attempt. "It's not working! The mana's being rejected!"

Colette looked up at the Great Seed with fear. "The Great Seed is…already dead!?"

Lloyd couldn't believe it! After everything they'd been through, after all the people who told them that they couldn't make a difference…now they were going to be proved right? _I won't give up! Not when we're this close!_ His words and passion seemed to reach the soul of his mother, buried deep within the exsphere on his left hand.

Lloyd…the Goddess Martel, who lies asleep within the Great Seed, cannot hear you. You must awaken her or all is lost.

Lloyd looked at the Great Seed and shouted, "Wait! Don't go! Please wake up!" From underneath him, immense mana began to flow and he could feel his mother's strength joining his own. The blue sphere began to glow and Lloyd could hear a feint voice emanating from the crystal. _Fly my son. Accept your birthright and take to the skies!_

The warmth that pulsated in a rhythmic dance with the shine of the exsphere grew across Lloyd's body in waves. Strength returned to his limbs and he felt an unnatural heat rise to his back. Unnatural yes…but strangely soothing.

He closed his eyes and accepted the metamorphosis. Fear and anxiety held no weight on his heart. Slowly, large transparent wings grew on either side of him, their blue-violet hue giving them a slight opacity. For some reason, why or how did not enter his mind; only that his goal was within reach and he would claim it.

Opening his eyes, the newborn angel took to the air. He ignored the startled gasps below him and kept his eyes locked on the Great Seed itself. He didn't know _how_ he knew what to do… he just did it. Already pouring as much mana has he had into reuniting Tethe'alla and Sylvarant, Lloyd doubted he would be able to keep his promise to Colette and gather the rest of the exspheres, but if he _didn't_ do this, she wouldn't have a world to live in at all. _Colette…I'm sorry…_

He met the Great Seed as it continued its ascent into the sky when the Chosen One named Colette flew up to his side. No words were spoken but Lloyd knew why she was there. He should've expected such actions from her. She was never one to leave a friend to face peril alone. "It looks like Derris-Kharlan stopped moving away."

Lloyd nodded, having noticed that too. "Yeah, but why? The Eternal Sword is gone." Where it had gone, Lloyd didn't know. Suddenly, the mentioned sword appeared again in front of its master. He gasped in shock. "The Eternal Sword!"

"Thank goodness!" Colette breathed a sigh of relief.

Both grabbed a hold of the grand sword and Lloyd made his prayer. "This is my final wish, Eternal Sword…"

"Please awaken the Great Seed!" Colette finished with earnest.

"I beg you! Please wake up!" Lloyd called out to the sleeping goddess.

"Please!"

Raising the sword up, then striking down, the two aimed the powerful blade forged by the summon spirit Origin himself at the Great Seed, ignoring the afternoon winds twirling against them.

"Rise Great Kharlan Tree!" Lloyd commanded. Looking at the flower-shaped crystal and hoping it wasn't too late, Lloyd channeled as much free mana from around him as he could through the blade and towards the Great Seed.

Far away from them, at the base of where the Great Kharlan tree once stood, the seemingly soulless doll Tabatha, saw the Great Seed germinate and glow bright – its rays of hope reaching even the darkest edges of the new world, and knew the time had come. _I am awakened._ Closing her eyes, she raised her hands and caught the descending seed. Dissolving into nothing more than energy, the power blew around Tabatha and she was swept into the air. Dancing on the very currents she seemed to fuse with the Great Seed itself.

The many spirits the Goddess Martel possessed swirled around with the wind and enveloped Tabatha, going inside of her. Then Martel herself materialized and regarded Tabatha pensively. Would she once again have faith in the people of the land to love each other and help the Great Tree grow? Would she take the risk and reincarnate in this new body being offered to her? Smiling, she glided up to Tabatha and caressed her cheek. _Yes._ She agreed. _I will believe in the hopes and dreams of man once more._ Crossing her phantom arms around the praying girl in a hug, she entered the body and was reborn.

She slowly floated down to the ruins of the Tower of Salvation. Walking through it, she could feel the presence of the seedling before she even saw it. Kneeling down, she felt hope rise in her once again for a prosperous new world as her fingers caressed the gentle leaves, though few in number. Her heart wished to soar at that moment, but she feared for the fledgling plant as well. Its existence was so fragile; it would most likely whither away to nothing once more.

Turning she saw the Chosen descend with the warrior whom Origin had formed a pact and watched as his large angelic wings disappeared as mysteriously as they had come. Both appeared elated yet apprehensive. "I am Martel." The goddess introduced herself. "I am also the incarnation of the Great Tree itself. Lloyd, your hope, as well as those of many others, resurrected me."

The boy youth blinked and asked, "Are you Mithos' sister?"

The goddess shook her head. "No, Mithos' sister Martel is only one of the many souls that I possess. I am mana and I am the Great Tree. I am the symbol of the many lives sacrificed to the Great Tree. I am the new spirit born to accompany the Great Tree and now the seed has awakened anew along with me."

From the ground a huge tree grew and seemed to reach up to the heavens. Large healthy branches flew up towards the sky and from them, hundreds of bright green leaves appeared. The ground beneath it flourished and grass rose up to greet the mana-producing tree.

Lloyd couldn't believe his eyes. "This is…the Great Kharlan Tree?"

"It's so beautiful and so grand." Colette said in awe.

"This is the future form of the Great Tree, but right now it is only a small seedling." She explained. "In its current state, the tree will whither and die."

"Well then how do we protect it!?" Lloyd demanded, forgetting the fact that he was talking to a goddess.

"You must provide the tree with love and adoration. As long as those conditions are met, I shall always protect this seedling." Martel promised.

Lloyd nodded and held a fist over his heart. "I promise, if the tree ever starts to wither, I'll make sure… we won't let it die!" He swore.

"Then Lloyd, on behalf of all living things, I want you to give this tree a new name as a proof of the pact." Martel instructed.

"Wha?" Lloyd was at a loss.

"The Great Kharlan Tree was planted here by the elves when they first came as a guardian to watch over and protect them. This newly reborn tree protects elves, humans, and the lives of all those who are caught in between. Therefore this tree requires a new name." Martel explained.

The Chosen turned to her companion and smiled. "Lloyd, pick a name for us. A name for everyone's tree!"

"So this tree is the link that connects the world. Okay! I got it!" He agreed and as he turned to it, he couldn't help but feel pride and hope swell within him. "Its new name will be…Viscus!"

Colette smiled and nodded with enthusiasm. "The Great Viscus Tree!"

Martel mirrored her smile and accepted the answer. "So it shall be named." Then her form faded and disappeared. Only the Great Viscus Tree remained to guard its children.

Lloyd's throat constricted and he fought back his tears as his eyes took in the unbelievable sight before them. After all the pain and suffering, after all the sacrifices and victims, for Marble, Chocolat, Anna, Clara, and all those wronged by Mithos – they had succeeded. _Thank you Dad, Mom and…Kratos. _The last thought of his biological father made him smile even more.

Colette turned just in time to see Lloyd close his eyes and fall forward like a rag doll. Catching him before he could hit the ground, the blond haired girl looked intently at his face for any sign of life. "Lloyd! What's wrong!?" But she already knew the answer.

"Yo Colette!" That was Zelos' voice but…

Looking up, the angel-girl saw her six companions come down on the rheairds to the base of the tree. Seeing Lloyd in such bad condition, they immediately rushed to her side.

Raine regarded her former student for a moment before coming to a diagnosis. "The Eternal Sword must have drained him of all his mana." The half elf concluded.

Colette held her friend close and looked deep within his soul, her angelic senses becoming a great help in the task. Shaking her head, she contradicted her teacher. "That's not it." This brought everyone to turn to the girl. "It's part of it, but I can tell there's more. Something more dangerous."

Exchanging looks, the group was unsure what to do next.

Colette narrowed her sapphire eyes and placing Lloyd softly down on the grass, stood up and met everyone's concerned glances. "Regal, I'm going to need you and Presea to go to Altessa's house and explain to him what's happened. Gather any information he has and if need be, bring him to Heimdall."

"Why there?" Genis asked, finally taking his eyes off his unconscious friend.

"Because that's where I'm gonna take Lloyd. I think at this point only the elves can save him." The angel-girl replied. "Genis, I would like you and Professor Sage to come with me."

The half elf boy nodded while his older sister answered for both of them. "Of course."

"What about us?" Sheena asked, stepping forward.

"You and Zelos take the last rheaird and head to Dirk's house. I'm sure both he and Kratos will want to be with Lloyd to make sure he's alright."

Sheena accepted the assignment with a "You got it", but Zelos merely stood there blinking. Then his hand reached behind his head and he scratched nervously. "You sure it's Lloyd that's unconscious?"

The summoner at his side elbowed him making the Chosen One double over. "What's that supposed to mean!?" She demanded.

Zelos half laughed while trying to catch his breath and rubbed the bruise before it could darken. "Only that it seems to me some of our fearless leader has rubbed off on my sweet little angel."

Presea nodded in agreement, despite the erotic references. "She has obtained the ability to delegate responsibility."

Mounting a rheaird and securing Lloyd in front of her, Colette shouted, "Hurry up! The longer we wait, the less time Lloyd has! Come on!" Without waiting for a response, Colette took to the air.

Genis and Raine were quick to follow. Sheena and Zelos boarded another rheaird, though the summoner insisted on taking the controls, leaving the lady's man to ride shotgun, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Kinda cozy back here." Zelos whispered into Sheena's ear.

Rolling her eyes, Sheena scoffed. "Yeah you better hold on cause if you fall off, I ain't flying down to get you." Then she blasted towards the East without giving any warning to her passenger.

Regal quietly mounted the last available magitechno device and looked to Presea. "Are you coming?"

Pausing a moment, Presea kept her eyes on the sky where her friends had just disappeared in the horizon. "Do you believe what's effecting Lloyd is life threatening?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure, but I do believe we owe it to the savior of the new world to look into it." The former criminal replied.

"Yes. We do owe Lloyd a lot." Presea turned and got on behind Regal and the two headed to Altessa's.

Heimdall 

Bypassing Ymir Forest altogether, Colette landed in one of the clearings in Heimdall, Raine landed her and Genis besides it. The village itself was still partially in ruins, the collapse of the Tower of Salvation dealing a heavy blow to the quiet hometown.

The Heimdall elder came towards them with his walking staff and didn't appear too happy. All around them, various members of the hidden village gathered around the commotion. "How _dare_ you bring them into our village!" The elven leader hissed with deep-seeded hatred. "I allowed them within our boundaries only until the pact with Origin could be made. It was a personal favor I did for Kratos. You dare take advantage of this?"

Where this instant anger came from was bewildering. From what Lloyd had said, the elder was beginning to come around, but Raine concluded that it was because of the severity of the village's destruction that made the leader want nothing more to do with half-elves or Lloyd's group entirely. Swallowing hard, Raine took a step back towards the village's entrance, her little brother doing the same.

Colette, leaving Lloyd on the rheaird with Raine and Genis to guard him, glared uncharacteristically at the village leader. The sudden change in behavior from the usually cheerful Chosen made the elves step back and breathe in shock. "Now you listen to me! If it weren't for Lloyd risking his life to reunite both Sylvarant _and_ Tethe'alla and germinate the Great Seed, you wouldn't even _have_ a village to call home!" She berated. "It's your hatred for all those non pure bloods that caused the tree to whither and die in the first place! If we have any chance of surviving, it's only if we erase our negative emotions and fill the world with love, because only love will feed the Great Viscus Tree and allow it to flourish!"

Raine stepped forward and held a hand over her heart. "Hold any hatred you have for us, but please, if you can save this boy's life while we still have time, do not stand idly by and do nothing! We'll leave as soon as he's well."

Genis crossed his arms and muttered under his breath. "Something tells me we should lock him and Iselia's mayor together and let _them_ duke it out." Thankfully, no one heard him.

Out of the crowd came a mother and daughter. Colette immediately recognized the child as the elf who'd blocked their way into the village the first time. After receiving Ymir Fruit to save her mother, they never saw her again until now. "That's them!" The girl elf pulled on her mother's sleeve and pointed towards the chosen group. "They were the ones that helped me!" She said with a smile.

The older elven woman, her long blond hair being pulled back into a neat ponytail, smiled at Colette. Bowing in thanks, she said, "Thank you for everything you've done for us. Please, bring the boy to our house. You are all very welcomed."

Although she was putting up a brave front, Colette breathed a sigh of relief. Her heart, which up until now had been beating somewhere close to her throat, finally lowered to her chest but beat just as quickly. She feared for Lloyd's life and if these elves were going to pull snobby, she wasn't going to stand for it. Smiling gratefully at the woman, Colette clasped her hands in front of her. "Thank you very much!" _Hang in there, Lloyd!_

Just outside Ozette 

Regal and Presea touched down right outside Altessa's small house. Strangely enough, the dwarf stood there waiting for them. "With the presence of the mana tree, you can only be here for one reason." The doctor from Flanoir ended up costing them a pretty penny, but the results were worth it. The dwarf was up and back to normal.

"Lloyd has fallen ill and Colette believes your expertise may be required." Regal began, skipping the pleasantries.

"Do you know what's happening to him?" Presea asked.

Sighing, the dwarf's eyes fell to the sandy dirt at his feet. "Unfortunately I do." Looking back up he nodded. "Take me to him."

Iselia Forest 

Kratos sat quietly in Dirk's living room, the crackling of the fire the dwarven craftsman built was the only sound present to the angel's ears. Kratos, his red brown hair falling loosely over one eye, always reveled in silence. But now it only gave birth to new worries and concerns…mostly about his son Lloyd.

Many centuries ago, Kratos had lost faith in the future of mankind when they decided to turn against each other rather than build for a better tomorrow. He'd sided with Mithos Yggdrasill and supported his vision of a world where everyone would be treated equally, including Mithos' sister Martel and their friend Yuan, also half elves.

It took him nearly 1,000 more years to understand the wrong in Mithos' system, but by then it was too late. He was an Angel of Cruxis and so bound by his loyalty to an old friend. The future Mithos now strived for was far different than what Kratos, or even the late Martel, ever wanted. As strong and as wise as Kratos appeared to be, he did not see any alternative. And so he aided Mithos in controlling citizens of both worlds through the subordinate Desian faction, gathering new subjects for his experiments, and all the while watching as the humans of both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla grew to believe in the myth started by Mithos and could not help but feel sad as they laid their prayers on a goddess who no longer, if ever, existed.

Now his son, Lloyd, fought for that perfect world, that future of equality amongst humans, elves, and half-elves alike. It was foolish of the boy, but he was strong, stronger than Kratos, and was one step away from reaching his goal. The angel of cruxis only prayed he was successful.

As the mana levels, usually depleting by the second into the other world of Tethe'alla, returned to normal and even started to grow, Kratos felt pride for his son. He had done the one thing Kratos never could. The earthquake following that thought at first made the angel worry. Had Mithos succeeded in destroying Lloyd and his friends after all? Was the power of Origin not enough?

Dirk, his dwarven senses telling him something was about with Mother Earth, froze in his seat, a small short log still in his hands. Setting the wood on the table next to him, he stood and walked to the door.

"Trouble?" Kratos asked. His body had been severally weakened after releasing Origin's seal, not to mention his fight with Lloyd, and he probably would've died had Yuan not lent him some of his mana. Now though, after several hours, the angel felt his strength returning and stood as the dwarf walked by.

"I don't know." Dirk replied honestly. Opening the door and walking out onto the porch, both men looked around and to the sky for any signs as to the reason of the sudden earthquake.

Kratos called forth his wings and took to the air, not bothering to warn the shorter man next to him. As he rose above the canopy of Iselia Forest, his heart skipped a beat at the sight. In the middle of the horizon, stood the huge tree of legend, the mana tree. "Lloyd…you did it." Kratos almost didn't believe his own eyes, but his angelic sight showed him the gentle blue hue around the foliage of the mana-producing tree, and he knew what the boy had truly done.

"What is it Kratos? What do you see?" Dirk called out from down below, barely being able to see the angel's form from the ground.

"He's done it." Kratos said loudly, taking a moment more to look at the tree before returning to the ground. After landing besides the dwarf, Kratos couldn't help but smile. After so many years… "I saw…the mana tree."

Dirk's eyes first went wide, then began to mist up as he felt the pride only a father could feel. "Then…in doing so he has saved us all."

Kratos turned in the direction of the tree, even though he couldn't see it anymore from the ground. "Indeed." With the birth of the ancient tree, Kratos began to feel a sudden sense of anxiety and fear. What would become of him now? When word got out that the legend and myth that everyone so clung to was a lie started by Mithos and the angels of Cruxis himself, Kratos knew he would be less than welcomed anywhere he went within the new world.

But that strangely wasn't what caused the fear nor the anxiety. When Lloyd returned here…would he in fact want Kratos to remain in his life? And even if he did, how would Dirk take it?

For the last fourteen years, Dirk had been the father Kratos himself could not be. He raised Lloyd to be a fine swordsman and taught him the values the angel wasn't even sure he himself possessed. Lloyd had been devastated upon discovering that it was Kratos, the very man who'd lied and deceived them, that was his long lost father. Of course, had Kratos been given the choice, he would've searched high and low for his son, but on that fateful day when Anna had…well, Kratos thought he'd lost both of the people he cared for most…

Desian Base: Iselia, fourteen years earlier… 

Kratos stood within the walls of the Iselia Ranch. Before him was a woman who deserved better than he had given her. Forced to work day after day towards only an inevitable death, it was amazing that even through this she kept a positive outlook on life; praying to the goddess Martel and her angels to bear the Chosen One and save all those within the desian human ranches.

Kratos knew the jewel growing within her would one day kill her, but try as he might he had been unable to find a cure for her. The woman who'd broken down all his defenses had been able to see into the soul he never thought he still possessed.

Though covered in nothing but mere rags, Anna still appeared as beautiful as ever. She had long black hair, reaching just above her waist and sparkling green eyes. She appeared so exotic in an artificial society where everyone was meant to be the same. Kratos would never forgive himself for being responsible for Anna being here, but he couldn't make a move without Lord Yggdrasill finding out one way or another.

But Kratos swore the day Anna was taken away, that he would find a way to escape with her, so that they could live out the life that up until now had been denied to them. Even though their son remained safely in Kratos' care, the angel still believed the boy deserved to have his mother in his life as well. Anna felt content with the fact that Lloyd was hidden away somewhere and that she would be reunited with him…someday.

"Kratos?"

Blinking out of his reverie, the angel once again looked down at the frail yet beautiful form of his endearing love. "Hmm? I'm sorry I must've been lost in thought for a moment."

Smiling, Anna looked into his eyes and Kratos immediately felt her gaze analyzing his inner being, determining if he was telling the truth. "You seem tired. Have you slept well lately?"

Scoffing, Kratos turned away, no longer being able to meet her inquisitive orbs. "I am an Angel of Cruxis." He said slightly dark. "I need little sleep or food for that matter."

Eyes being cast down sadly, Anna replied. "Oh, of course _Lord_ Kratos."

Wincing, Kratos turned to her again. "You know I hate it when you say that."

Smiling, Anna looked up again, happy her plan worked to get the man to turn towards her once more. "I know, but these visits seem to get shorter and shorter. How am I supposed to remember what my love looks like if I can't see his face?"

Half smiling, Kratos walked forward and pulled her close. She seemed to relax in his embrace and held an ear to his heart. Even though the armor he wore prevented her from actually hearing it, she smiled nonetheless. The guards outside the room they were in would not dare disturb them, for fear of upsetting the angel within as well, so Kratos knew they were safe for the moment, but he didn't want to take the chance of being found out. Anna would most certainly be killed and Kratos' actions would be seen as traitorous to Lord Yggdrasill back at Derris-Kharlan. "I know, but just wait a little longer. I _will_ find a way to save you."

"You say that as if I'm going to perish at any moment." Anna replied pulling back from the embrace.

Kratos hadn't the heart to tell the woman standing before him what it truly meant to be a part of the Angelus Project. She simply lived her life in the human ranch believing she was a mere slave. That probably explained her upbeat attitude all the time.

"Kratos…I…" Stopping, it was Anna's turn to move away.

The sudden change in behavior alerted Kratos and he stepped forward. "Anna…what is it? Have they been ill-treating you?"

Twirling back around, Anna looked up at the angel. "No, no, it's not that. Nothing more than usual. But what has me worried is that I've been loosing certain… feelings lately."

"Feelings?"

Looking down, Anna played with her pinky the way she always did when she was nervous. She picked up the habit when Kratos first started visiting the ranch not as Kratos, her love and father to their son, but as _Lord_ Kratos, the Angel of Cruxis. "I…can't really taste the food they give me anymore. And I sleep maybe an hour and nothing more. Then just yesterday…" She paused again.

"Anna?" Kratos gently took the woman's small wrists in his larger hands and pulled them up, attempting to get her to look at him, but to no avail. "Anna, answer me." His tone was more commanding this time, the same way he spoke to her desian captors.

Without turning to him, Anna closed her eyes. "I touched one of the machines yesterday by accident and it burned my hand…"

"What?" Kratos turned her wrist so he could see her palm and just as she said, there was a slight burn mark where the skin wrinkled up because of the heat. "Are you alright?"

Yanking her hands away Anna replied, "Yes I'm fine and that's what scares me!" She held her injured hand close to her heart. "I didn't _feel_ anything when it happened. No heat, no pain…nothing." She finally turned to look at him as her eyes began to water. "What's happening to me?"

Kratos pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair in an attempt to comfort her. "You'll be fine. I promise." But he knew on the inside, the transformation of the exsphere had already begun. What worried him more was that the symptoms she was experiencing was similar to what the Chosen felt during their transformation into an angel.

First it was the need for food, then sleep, and then all forms of feeling disappeared. Their voice was the next to vanish. Lastly, their very heart and memory of who they were would be erased. This process was one Mithos had created in order to make human shells worthy of harboring Martel's soul. But Anna was not the Chosen and Kratos was led to believe it was because she was specifically entered into the Angelus Project that caused these effects. It would also explain why the exsphere was implanted directly inside her rather than on her hand. The crystal probably extracted the necessary mana more quickly but also created a symbolic relationship with Anna, resulting in her not getting sick like all the other slaves.

Kvar and Mithos had begun the Angelus Project in order to grow cruxis crystals, not exspheres, capable of turning the host into a shell far more quickly than the Chosen's journey of regeneration. Should they be successful, Mithos could eliminate the story and myth behind the regeneration of the world and turn his attention to finding suitable hosts with Martel's unique mana signature in order to revive her.

After calming down a bit, Anna said just above a whisper, "How…how is Lloyd doing?"

Kratos smiled in admiration. Even though she was going through all this, Anna still feared for their son and wanted to know what happened with him every time the angel visited. "He's fine. He's eating more than usual, but that's to be expected with a growing boy."

"You make sure he's eating his vegetables. Even the carrots he despises so much. Otherwise he might go blind before he's your age." Anna reminded.

"If he lives to _be_ my age, I don't think we'll have much to fear." The angel quipped just as quietly. That same day Anna had been taken away, Kratos had hidden their son away from Forcystus and Kvar, ultimately saving his life. The desians would have surely killed the boy had they found out and Kratos would be locked away, the chance of saving Anna from her fate disappearing as well.

"I miss him so much." Anna's eyes watered up again. "I don't want to stay here anymore." Kratos remembered Anna's happiness during the time he was supposed to bring her to Kvar and didn't. Her ideals and outlooks on life were what changed Kratos' view and made him want to oppose Mithos. But as of yet he had been unable to find a way for him to wield the Eternal Sword and thus save the two worlds.

The details of Anna's evasion had been sketchy and thankfully no one connected Kratos to the future host's escape, but Kvar always suspected Kratos and wished to see him punished. Of course, Mithos would never do anything to threaten the angel's life seeing as Kratos' life was bound to Origin's seal. It would be too risky if the sword that split the world was left…unprotected.

Kratos' back straightened as he held her close, his mind attempting to somehow think of a way to get her out of there without putting her into danger. His thoughts were interrupted when the door suddenly opened and two desians walked in. Kratos slipped Anna behind him smoothly and looked sternly at the intruders. "What is the meaning of this?"

Looking as intimidating as he was, the desian soldiers tried their best to stand straight before the angel of cruxis. "L-Lord Kvar requests your presence in the Extraction Room. He says to bring the prisoner."

Kratos narrowed his eyes and glared at the soldiers thinking, _Why would Kvar want to see Anna all of a sudden? The crystal is not even near its harvesting time yet, so then why? _"Very well. I will come shortly."

Nodding, both soldiers made a hasty exit, leaving the angel alone with the prisoner.

Grabbing a hold of his sleeve, Anna peered up worriedly, "W-what do you think this is all about?" She never cared for Kvar not for the fact that he was her captor and overseer, but his very soul seemed to be tainted and evil, unlike what she felt in Kratos. He possessed a gentle soul within the rough exterior he had created for himself.

Turning to face the younger woman, Kratos held her hands in both of his and looked down at her. Her emerald eyes were full of fear and Kratos promised himself after this was all over, he would never let her fear anything again. _I will protect you Anna._ "I'm not sure, but let us not assume the worst. It is unlikely Kvar has caught on, but in the event that he has, be prepared to make a hasty retreat."

"You mean…?" She breathed.

Kratos nodded. "Yes, though it will be difficult, I will fly us away from here, we'll pick up Lloyd and go into hiding. If Lord Yggdrasill comes after us, I will deal with him then."

Nodding, Anna tried to calm her nerves. She was not worried about her safety so much as that of her lover and son. Whoever was above Kratos, Anna knew was not to be trifled with. "I understand."

"Good." Taking her hand, he exited the cell and walked down the passageways. He kept a stern face on the outside, but on the inside he was panicking. _If Kvar has found out, he will no doubt be ready to battle me. I will need to make sure Anna is safely out of the way, then I will finally kill him for the pain he's brought upon my family._ Since the six months past when Kvar and his desian underlings had stormed into Kratos' home and taken Anna away, the angel had burned with the need for revenge. That self deluded fool would die by Kratos' hand. Over the ages, Kratos knew anger and revenge to be meager feelings, but that did not stop him from planning the fall of the desian grand cardinal. He would make the bastard pay.

When the two entered the Extraction Room, Kratos kept Anna behind him and regarded Kvar suspiciously. The overseer held a wide sneer on his face when he saw the angel, but it turned into a wider smile when he saw Anna in tow. "You wished to see me, Kvar?" Kratos asked in an authoritive voice, seeing the devious man's eyes flick back to him.

Clasping his hands behind him at the small of his back, Kvar nodded and began pacing back and forth. The man had short gray hair slicked back and wide golden shoulder guards. The red gloves he wore reminded Kratos of all the innocent blood this man was responsible for, as if it had stained his hands, never to fade away. "According to the data we gathered last time, Anna's development is progressing more quickly than we expected."

Kratos' brow raised fractionally. "Do you intend to hastily harvest it then?" He replied in hopes of deterring Kvar from harming Anna before he had a chance to free her from this intolerable nightmare. Then angel's gaze flashed to the woman behind him, but he kept his concern under control. Up until now, Kratos had neither revealed his true identity to her, nor told her about the exsphere. When he had decided to settle down with Anna and look away from the corruption that had grown from Mithos' selfish desires, he thought he could start over. Now he feared Kvar would tell her instead.

"I don't see why not. If we fail, we can always try again…with her son. Oh Lord Forcystus?" Just then a side door opened and at least a dozen desian soldiers came storming in to surround the couple. Kratos cursed for not being more careful and for walking into an obvious trap. Getting out would now be ten times harder.

Last to enter was Lord Forcystus, another grand cardinal Kratos disliked. Though he had once been a hero to his own kind, Kratos knew him now to be nothing more than a self serving idiot, who disregarded all those under him in order to advance himself in Lord Yggdrasill's favor. Something he and Kvar had in common. "I should have assumed _you'd_ be involved." Kratos said in a dangerously low tone. Obviously after one of his pasts visits, Forcystus had found a way to track him into the labyrinth of Ymir Forest and find the hideout that held his son. The angel had hoped the location would keep him hidden and the nearby village of the elves would make getting supplies easier. Unfortunately, it had not remained hidden long enough and now the desian grand cardinal no doubt had his son captive.

Forcystus himself smirked. "I believed you were against Lord Yggdrasill, Kratos, but never would I have been swayed to believe you would lower yourself to romancing with _humans_." One of his eyes narrowed, for the right one remained hidden behind a black eye patch as his short blue hair stood slightly on end with agitation for the human turned angel before him. Holding onto his hand from behind was a small little boy with short brown hair and tears streaming down his face. "I believe this is yours, am I correct?"

A three-year-old Lloyd tried to break free of his captor and run to his parents. "Mommy! Daddy!" Noishe, their pet dog, barked and growled as other desian soldiers restrained him.

Forcystus and Kvar both grinned, taking personal pleasure in witnessing the distress from both Anna and the angel. "I guess that answers my question." Forcystus laughed.

"Lloyd!" Anna exclaimed from behind Kratos.

Drawing his sword, Kratos took a menacing step forward. "Let him go. I will destroy you both if he is harmed."

Kvar scoffed un-intimidated and grabbed Lloyd by the ankle, yanking him into the air, and holding the frightened child upside down. "Do you believe him to be your guardian angel Anna?" He asked mockingly to the slave. "Do you believe he will save you from your deserving fate?"

Coming out from behind Kratos, Anna glared defiantly at the overseer. "Those who attempt to bring joy and hope to others left without deserve the light of Martel and the gratitude of those they save!"

Kratos felt a twinge of guilt from her words. _Dear Anna…you know not of what you speak._ But he kept his outer face emotionless. "I am leaving and I am taking her and the boy with me." He said with more confidence than he felt. He could easily kill off every one of the desians before him now, including Kvar. Only Forcystus gave him reason to worry, for the more he killed the more likely Lord Yggdrasill would find out about his defection… if he hadn't already.

"Oh, I think not." Forcystus said, taking the boy back into his arms.

Kvar chuckled and rubbed his chin as he raised an eyebrow at his rival. "Set her into the extraction device." He commanded.

As two guards went around Kratos and attempted to take back Anna, Kratos slashed with his blade and gutted them before they could even cry out.

Anna gasped upon seeing the bloodshed and clenched her eyes shut. She had grown used to seeing such violence around the human ranch, but it shocked her to see it come from a man she had once seemed so gentle.

"I warned you." Kratos ground, glaring at the remaining soldiers each in turn. "Should any more of you come one step closer, you will befall the same fate."

Forcystus threw the boy to soldiers behind him and brought up his gun arm. "So disorderly Lord Kratos. I think I'll enjoy bringing your dead corpse to Lord Yggdrasill." He fired the weapon straight at the angel of cruxis.

Kratos raised his sword to deflect the attack, but the force of the blow knocked him clear off his feet and he was thrown back into the solid bulkhead behind him. The angel's sword fell with a clatter and as he tried to get back to his feet, four soldiers aimed their weapons at him from all sides. Noishe barked repeatedly until one of the guards hit him, making him yelp.

"Kratos!" Anna struggled against Kvar's hold as he dragged her into the chair that was used to restrain slaves when their exspheres were extracted.

Strapping her in, Kvar smirked as his anticipation rose. "You know on second thought, this might be a premature experiment…do you know what that means _Lord_ Kratos?"

"No…" The angel breathed.

Looking at the frightened girl, Kvar tilted his head mockingly. "Do you know what exspheres are Anna? Exspheres are what we cultivated from you worthless humans."

"Exspheres?" She echoed. Looking up at the angel before her, Anna whimpered. "W-what is he talking about?"

Now openly laughing, Kvar answered for him. "You haven't told her, Kratos? A pity…" He began pacing back and forth in front of the small army, reveling in the suffering he knew Kratos was going through. "You have, growing within you, a powerful gem. It was planted there the day you came here, but of course you wouldn't remember that. That's why Kratos was sent to capture you, though I'm sure he's the reason you got away in the first place. You were a perfect match for our Angelus Project and I simply had to have you back."

"That's enough Kvar!" Kratos threw his arms outward, smacking all the guards near him, but saw Forcystus take back his son and shake his head. The surge of emotion brought out his wings and he trembled with rage.

"This boy means little to me. I will just as surely kill him if you resist any longer, Kratos." Forcystus smirked, yanking the boy over by the hair.

Lloyd cried out and fought to break free, help his parents in anyway possible, but the man was too strong. "Let me go! Daddy!" He called out.

"I…It's not true. That's a lie!" Anna exclaimed, pulling up on the straps in order to break free. "I don't believe you!"

"Oh, but it's true!" Kvar looked over at the fuming Kratos. "Working for Cruxis you must've suspected it. Over time, the once dormant crystal grows and matures from using the host body's mana. We've discovered that pain and suffering hurry this process along. When that happens it activates within its host, we cultivate it, adapting it with a key crest and use it to make us superior half elves stronger. When the extraction process fails because the host body was too weak or resistant, it can cause…undesirable effects. If the crystal has grown within you like we hoped, it will be a cruxis crystal, not an exsphere. A cruxis crystal is an evolved form of the exsphere. Something our Lord Yggdrasill wants more than anything. But don't worry dear Anna, when we extract it you probably won't feel a thing. And we will still be able to harvest the jewel from your cold, dead body if it indeed fails." He continued to laugh as Anna looked over and met Kratos' guilty expression. Tears that should've been running down her cheeks were now absent.

"Kratos…" Kvar activated a sort of beam that was created to pull the exsphere from Anna's body and she screamed in pain, fighting against the straps. Anna tried to resist as she felt incredible pain roll over her body in waves. Her last human thought was as she looked at her first love. _It's not true…_

Slowly a blue tinted orb was pulled free from her body and floated over to Kvar's awaiting hand.

"Anna!" Kratos called out, worried for her safety. Lloyd was crying abundantly now, the pain his mother was going through tormenting him.

Kvar smirked as he held the cultivated gem that had been within Anna since her capture almost six months earlier. "No, it should have worked! I was to become one of the four seraphim!" He boasted. "This is still merely an exsphere!"

A moan from the operating table brought the angel's eyes over and Kratos watched as slowly Anna's skin warped from a light peach to a dark forest green. Large white stripes appeared over her entire body and she grew to a high of eight feet at least. The metal straps groaned with the pressure and snapped free as she stood up. Dangerously sharp red spikes protruded from her elbows and shoulders and only added to her ferocious look.

Her transformation was enough to spook the guards around him and the angel looked down at his salvation still lying where he'd dropped it. "Anna!" He quickly rolled and grabbed his sword, flying at Forcystus before the grand cardinal could react. Lowering one shoulder, Kratos rammed him back into his remaining army, making him drop his son. Another slash and the soldier holding back Noishe fell down dead.

Kratos held Lloyd with one hand, while he held his sword in front of him with the other. The monster that stood before him now was a far cry from the beauty that he loved so dearly. Red glowing eyes bore down upon Kratos and tightening his grip on his sword, he knew what he would be forced to do. _This is all my fault. Anna…I'm sorry._

"Oops. Sorry Kratos…were you expecting to woo her with more lies?" Kvar taunted, buying time until Forcystus could recover.

"Mommy!" Lloyd yanked free from his father and dashed to his mother's aide.

"Lloyd, no!" Kratos rushed forward and grabbed the child into his arms before the creature could swat him away. He rolled, keeping the child safely against his chest, and flew to the door. "Come and get us!" He taunted the monster before dashing out of the room.

"No cease her!" Kvar ordered the soldiers.

Throwing her arms out, the monster batted them all away against the far end of the room, grabbed the glowing orb from Kvar's greedy hand, and drudged out of the steel plated room after the fleeing duo.

"Damn her!" Kvar cursed.

Kratos grit his teeth as he tried to come up with a plan. Lloyd continued to cry out for his mother, but the angel refused to let him go. Behind them, Noishe ran to keep up with the angel's speed. He couldn't leave Anna here like this. The desians would no doubt try and put her to some evil purpose or worse…kill her off completely.

Desian soldiers appeared from different corners as Kratos made his way outside, the alarm being sounded shortly after their escape. He dispatched any and all that got in his way, leaving only bloodshed behind him. Every now and then he would turn around to make sure Anna was indeed still following them, before taking off again.

Kicking down the last door, Kratos winced as the sunlight poured through and frantically flicked his eyes back and forth trying to find somewhere to hide his son. Discovering a nearby bush, Kratos set the crying child down. The angel knelt before the boy and looked sternly into his eyes. "Stay here." He commanded firmly.

"Daddy…" Lloyd continued to cry but nodded nonetheless.

Standing up, the angel regarded his son for an extra moment, before turning towards his approaching lover. Kratos, his eyes locked on Anna's transformed figure, set his jaw with determination. _I swore I would protect you and I will keep my promise…_ "Anna…" The gurgling sounds coming from the monster's throat only caused Kratos to hate himself more for what he had to do next.

Seeing the child as the weaker of the two opponents, the monster turned and raised an arm over Lloyd.

"Anna no!" Kratos tried to get her attention back on him.

The child looked up with tears, but could say nothing. At the last moment as she brought her arm down, Noise came out of the open door and bit onto her arm, making her wail.

Throwing the dog aside, the pet lost his grip and landed hard on the grass floor. The creature growled and its eyes glowed red. But upon seeing her son again, Anna fought to control herself. "L-Loyd…K-Kratos…" She turned and faced her love.

Gasping, Kratos looked up expecting to see the green fields of joy but instead saw the hellish burning orbs of what Kvar had made her become. Wait…had he just heard right?

"I believe in you…Kratos." The monster said again. Anna's voice was hidden beneath the wheezing and gurgling, but he knew it was her. "You know what…you must do."

"Anna!" Kratos exclaimed, still having yet to deliver the final blow. How could he? This was the woman he loved! The mother of his child! Damn Kvar! Damn Forcystus! Damn all of Cruxis! "I can't!" How could he? Knowing his son would witness the atrocious murdering of his mother…at his father's hand?

Forcystus, Kvar, and more desian soldiers exited out of the facility from another door and gathered near the couple as they faced each other in a stand off.

"Please!" She took a swing at him, unable to stop her body from reacting to the now out of control mana and fought with no thoughts of her own. "You're the only one that can!" Turning away from him, she turned towards the troops of desians and swatted Kvar first, sending him reeling end over end into the stonewall of the ranch.

"Get her and retrieve the boy!" Forcystus commanded.

At once, all of the desians ran at the monster with whips in hand.

"No!" Kratos intercepted them and swung his blade. As the first soldier fell, Kratos' untold anguish and emotion caused his mystical wings to glow bright and they flared out on either side of him. With each flash of metal another desian fell dead at the angel's feet.

Ignoring the battling angel, Anna drudged over towards Forcystus and dared him to openly attack her. Even though she could barely comprehend what was going on or control what she was doing, she forced her legs towards the man whom she truly blamed for not only her pain and suffering, but that of all the slaves in the ranch.

Part of it must've been her parental instincts, because inside she knew she couldn't let these demons take her child. He had to survive. He was the proof of her and Kratos' never-ending love. She saw past what he was and looked deep within. She saw no boundaries between them, unlike so many in the world who deemed those that were difference a menace to society and unworthy of their respect.

"What do you think you're doing?" The armored man brought up his gun arm, but Anna angrily swatted him away. Thrown back by the sheer force of the blow, Forcystus hit the bulkhead of the front gate and slumped to the floor, dazed.

Kratos dispatched of the last desian and turned just in time to see Anna beat down the front gate and make her way outside. "Anna!"

Kvar moaned and tried to sit up just as Kratos ran past him. All around, the carnage left by the angel was unbelievable. The boy he had hoped would be his ticket to Lord Yggdrasill's side ran out from behind the bush and after his father. Leaning forward, he caught the boy by the ankle and sneered as he fell hard against the floor. "You're not going anywhere!"

Trying to pull his leg away, Lloyd grunted and called out to his father. "Dad! Help me!"

Not hearing his son's plea for help, Kratos exited the ranch and looked back and forth for his love. His wings twitched nervously as his heart continued to beat rapidly. Finally spotting her near the cliff, Kratos called out, "Anna no!"

Turning around, the monster formally known as Anna regarded Kratos. "I don't blame you, Kratos."

"Anna…" Kratos didn't know what to say because as much as he hated it, everything Kvar revealed was true. He had kept the truth from her for so long. This was all his fault.

"Now, please as my last request…kill me. If you don't, I'll jump. I can't live on like this, knowing they will simply use the crystal to hurt others. Take Lloyd and get out of here!" She pleaded.

Her voice was pained and Kratos shook his head defiantly. "I can't! I'll find a way to save you!"

"There is no way. I'll never be who I was. I trust you to finish what it was you set out to do, Kratos…for both of us." She said fondly.

"Anna…"

"I'm just sorry I never got to gaze into the eyes of my son again…Kratos please…" Her discouraged words were so unlike her; it made the angel realize how much she had changed in just a few mere moments.

Kratos grit his teeth and stared down at the ground sadly. "Anna…" Slowly, his sword arm raised to his side and taking a step forward, he slashed at an angle. The cut was quick and probably didn't cause her any more pain than she was already going through, but Kratos was sure he felt just as much pain if not more inside. "Goodbye…"

At that moment, Lloyd broke free from Kvar, kicking him in the head with his other booted foot and made a run for the open gate. He turned just in time to see Kratos give the fatal blow. "Mommy!? Daddy no!"

Gasping, Kratos turned and saw his son run past him towards his mother. He grabbed a hold of her waist and held on as tightly as possible. "Mommy! No don't leave me!"

"Lloyd!" Kratos called out in worry, reaching forward.

Loosing control once more from the pain of the wounds, the monster batted Lloyd off her and he went flying off to the side. Barking, Noishe came again and tried helping the boy but was hit instead and both boy and dog fell down, teetering near the edge of the cliff.

Shaking with anger, Kratos swung his sword behind him, cutting through the monster one last time, knowing without a doubt his Anna was truly dead.

Slowly Anna began to fall backwards. She was too weak for fight back as all around her darkness began to invade her vision and sleep… a welcomed thought. Much to his amazement, Kratos could see her form shrink back into what he always loved. "Kratos, Lloyd…" She said, her voice her own once more. "Goodbye…" Then she closed her eyes and also fell over the side of the cliff.

Lloyd's eyes went wide as he watched her fall down the rocky terrain. Why? Why would his father do something like this? Even being a monster, his mom was still his mom. That would never change! Didn't he see that?

"Anna!" Jumping up, Kratos made ready to dive over after her, maybe save her, when he was once again hit from behind and slammed back down on the ground painfully. He looked up just in time to see her pained face drop below the level of the ground.

"Well I suppose we'll have to go down and retrieve the exsphere anyway." Kvar said without feeling. Sighing, he turned to go down the cliff's side, leaving Kratos in Forcystus' care.

"Kvar, I will make you pain for this." The angel said in a low tone, barely getting to his knees.

The desian scientist stopped. "What was that, Kratos? Planning the last moments of your tortured life before Lord Yggdrasill sees it fit to destroy you?" He laughed. "And don't worry about your son…we'll take _good _care of him.

"Kvar!!!" Kratos flew into the air, dodging the other grand cardinal's attack, and rammed into the scientist, throwing him down into the ground. One of the stray hits struck the ground next to the Lloyd and wounded Noishe. The angel called out for them, but the ground beneath them gave way and both forms disappeared over the side.

Kvar winced and tried to get up again, but Kratos was on top of him before he knew it. Slashing two, three times, the angel of cruxis released a fury on the man like the world had never seen.

When the body stopped twitching and Kratos believed him dead, he once again ignored Forcystus and flew down the side of the cliff. The grand cardinal cursed and attempted to follow shouting towards the few guards remaining near the ranch's entrance, "Call all soldiers to the base of the cliff!"

Little did Kratos know that moments later, Dirk, who had seen the woman fall over the side, came to help. Kneeling by her side, the dwarf was shocked at the injuries the woman received, though she had somehow survived the fall over the cliff. What was more shocking was that a small boy lay on top of her, though he remained unconscious. "Hang on, I'll take care of you."

"No…it's too late…" She whispered. Blood trickled down the corner of her mouth and Dirk suspected she had injuries inside as well. "They…wanted to kill me and my son, Lloyd, in order to get this." She held up the glowing blue orb that she managed to take back from Kvar. "You mustn't let them…the desians…" Then she closed her eyes and her entire form was engulfed in a blue light.

Dirk had to cover his eyes from the brightness, but he could see her form slowly fade away and when he looked once more, all that was left was a small glowing blue exsphere. It lay mere inches from her son's unmoving hand.

Back at the dwarf's house, a grave would be made though no body would dwell in it. The unknown woman, who'd given her life so that her son could live would not disappear from history. The gravestone would be the evidence of her existence…that and the life of her son.

By the time Kratos got down there, there was nothing left but bloodstains and monster corpses. Caught up in the anguish of loosing both Anna and Lloyd, Kratos didn't sense Forcystus behind him and was thrown forward when the grand cardinal fired off his gun arm at the angel's back at point blank range.

Forcystus walked up and fired another shot at the already downed Kratos, just in case. "I'm sure Lord Yggdrasill will love to see you after hearing what I have to tell him."

Kratos' vision blurred as he fell into unconsciousness. _Anna…Lloyd…_

"Kratos."

Jolted from the past, the angel turned and looked down at the one who'd called him. "What is it, Dirk?" Kratos tried to keep the strain in his voice from being noticed and cleared his throat. Such memories had always been painful for him. Though Forcystus had indeed captured Kratos and brought him to Mithos along with Kvar, he and the other Desian Grand Cardinals, minus Pronyma, had been told that Kratos had been taken care of. It's the only explanation the angel could conceive that would explain why fifteen years later when he and Lloyd had run into Forcystus once more, that the desian hero didn't recognize him.

The dwarf pretended not to hear the slight waver in the man's voice and returned to speaking his original thought, "I guess I wanted to let ya know that I want ya to feel welcomed in my home. I don't blame ya for anything and I know Lloyd doesn't either." The small man began. "We both know ya would've come to find him had ya been able."

Kratos nodded, knowing deep within his heart he would've done all that and more. "Thank you, Dirk. You've taken care of him since Anna passed away and I'm not sure I will be the type of father Lloyd wants me to be, but he's had you."

Dirk smiled and laughed shortly. "Ha! If a wee little man like me can raise a firecracker like Lloyd, you're sure to do fine."

Kratos felt the corners of his mouth curve into a smile, but the low droning of a rheaird brought his eyes to the sky.

Sheena and Zelos descended in the small clearing just South of Dirk's house and the red-haired Chosen leapt the last few feet while Sheena shut the flyer down. "We've got problems." He said quickly.

Both men tensed up. "What has happened?" Kratos asked first.

At this point, Sheena joined Zelos' side. "Lloyd's out cold after regenerating the mana tree and Colette thinks it's something serious."

"Where is he now?" Dirk asked.

Zelos threw a thumb over his shoulder and replied, "They're over at Heimdall, Colette – hey!" The Chosen was cut off when Kratos suddenly took to the air and quickly disappeared.

Sheena cursed and ran back to the rheaird. "We'd better hurry. If he arrives without us, the others are gonna worry."

Dirk nodded and mounted in front of her, his short legs barely straddling the rheaird. Zelos mounted behind her and grabbed a hold of her waist.

Sheena withheld a gasp when the strong arms behind her interlocked, holding her securely in place. She felt the blood rush to her face and shook her head to relieve herself of such thoughts before starting up the rheaird and shooting off towards Heimdall.

-_Viscus_ in Latin means heart.


	2. Transformation

Transformation

_"Dwarven Vow #2: Never abandon someone in need."_

Heimdall 

Shortly after lying him down inside the small dwelling, Lloyd began to grit his teeth and squint his eyes as if he were warding something away. Perspiration dotted his creased forehead and Colette immediately rushed to find cool water and a cloth to aide in getting his fever down. Truthfully no one knew what the young warrior was going through and tension clouded the room like a fog. Everyone either stood or sat, but all eyes were on Lloyd. His arm wound from earlier had already been tended to.

The elven mother who'd shown the group such hospitality frowned as she stood at the bed's side. "This boy has had his body completely depleted of mana. As far as I can tell, he should be dead."

Gasping, Colette clasped her hands in front of her and exclaimed, "Don't say things like that!"

Just then the door opened and Altessa came in, Regal and Presea behind him. The mother bowed her apology and walked out the now opened door, pulling her little girl with her.

Colette spun around, "Can you tell what's wrong with him Altessa?" Worry filled every part of her body and the angel-girl very much doubted she would be able to think about anything else. How could she? Here was her childhood friend on the brink of death and it was all her fault! If only she'd made him go home instead of dragging him along on her journey of regeneration.

She admitted what she had said before about feeling nervous when Lloyd wasn't around was true, and she doubted she'd have her soul right then had Lloyd _not_ been around. Yet she couldn't help but think she'd put him in danger and was therefore responsible for his present condition. She had to see him through this! She owed him at least that much.

Altessa approached the bed and rubbed his burly beard in thought. "Hmm, I was afraid of this. It's similar to what Presea went through when they first gave her the cruxis crystal. He's beginning his transformation…into a half-angel."

"Half-angel?" Genis asked curiously.

"Humans and angels are different in the fact that they have heightened senses, strength, and an extended lifespan. Lloyd's body is conforming to these changes due to the crystal."

"But Lloyd doesn't have a cruxis crystal." Genis protested. "He only has the exsphere from his mother."

Presea walked to the opposite side of Altessa and picked up Lloyd's wrist, looking critically at the backside. "Perhaps it _was_ an exsphere at one time, but it is most certainly a cruxis crystal now."

Gasping, Colette had to ask, "Will he…lose his soul like I did?"

"No."

Altessa turned towards the door and regarded the angel as he strode in with another of his kind. "Strange to see another dwarf as crazy as me on the surface." He greeted the other with a firm handshake.

"I was just about to say tha same." Dirk returned the greeting.

"Kratos, is he going to be okay?" Colette addressed her former protector.

Looking at his son from the edge of the bed, Kratos crossed his arms. "It's hard to say." He said slowly. "His blood is not completely human, so his consciousness will not be taken over. However, without enough mana to sustain his body, the process could send him into shock." It surprised him how well he could maintain his composure even after the fact that his insides were doing back flips. He knew what Lloyd was going through, having survived it himself ages ago. The muscles twisting under the skin, growing and becoming stronger…brain cells literally multiplied, giving the host lightning fast reflexes and finely tuned senses. The cost of such immortality though was immense pain that could last anywhere from a couple of hours to an entire night.

Raine's back straightened. "Is it painful?"

Kratos finally tore his gaze away from the tormented youth and closed his eyes with a sigh, unable to put into words just how painful.

Forests Near Fooji Mountains, 1,000 years earlier… 

A transformed Mithos stood before a human Kratos, a glowing blue orb in his hand. Large, sparkling wings fluttered softly behind the summoner and the warrior almost couldn't believe it. "Mithos, what have you done?"

Smiling with narrowed eyes, the exiled half-elf replied, "I've improved myself; become stronger and faster than ever before. I have become…an angel." Holding out the cruxis crystal, Mithos made his offer. "Join me, Kratos my friend, and together we will show all those who oppose us who has the right to live and who deserves to die."

"Mithos, how do you believe this will make Martel happy?" Kratos, as well as Yuan, had felt the pain of their friend Martel's death, but it seemed her brother had taken it a step further.

"Because my dear friend, with the power of the summoned spirits _and_ my new immortal life, not only will I bring the equality that my sister so wanted to this war-torn world, but I will also make it so that Martel herself can be here to see it."

Kratos' eyes widened in shock, "Mithos…can it be true?" Loosing his friend and companion had dealt a hard blow to the warrior, but if she could be brought back…

Mithos nodded and motioned to the orb. "Yuan has already agreed. The process will hurt, but it will be worth it…"

That night had been pure agony as Kratos thrashed around in his bed, his very soul and mind being ripped apart. Kratos secretly wondered if at that moment, he had actually lost his soul forever.

Time didn't exist for him, but he assumed hours later he awoke to the new dawn's light and found a pair of blue-violet wings on his back. Exchanging his humanity for another's ideals…

Would he really reap the rewards of his decision…or live an eternity in regret?

Kratos opened his eyes and the sadness that reflected in his swirling orbs magnified infinitely within the angel. Never before had the heavens witnessed such inner turmoil and so the sky wept for the angel who could no longer cry himself. _Be strong…Lloyd…_

Inside Lloyd's subconscious, his mind was trying to understand the pain his body felt. As muscle mass doubled and inner bone marrow dissolved – making flight easier – pain continued to assault Lloyd, keeping him in a state of delirium.

So, his mind did the only thing it could and created a dream world it perceived as reality, in order to give reason for the burning sensations bombarding his very being.

Lloyd opened his eyes and found himself in the sewers of Meltokio. The smell was as putrid as he remembered, if not worse, and rats of every size scurried to take refuge in the cracks and crevices of the broken down stonewalls.

Following the path towards the surface, Lloyd listened carefully for any abnormal sounds other than the running sewer water and ever present rodents. _What am I doing here?_ Try as he might, he couldn't remember what he'd been doing previously or what business he had in the bustling metropolis above.

A soft padding behind him made him whirl around and he came face to face with an unexpected friend. "Presea! What are you…?" Leaning back he barely evaded the swift deadly strike of the young girl and rolled to gain some distance. Unfortunately the walkways in the underground sewer were narrow and Lloyd didn't have all that far to run or maneuver.

Looking over, he quickly noticed the axe-wielding girl's eyes were dull, glazed over, just like when he and his friends first met her. _But we made the key crest and saved her!_

Not recognizing Lloyd as an ally, Presea easily hefted the weapon and struck again. Lloyd turned and ran, hoping to find more open ground. "Presea, it's me! Lloyd!" He exclaimed, but to no avail. Cursing, he doubted his swords would be very effective against such a heavy-laden weapon, so instead he looked for the exit. Surely the others would know of a way to bring Presea back.

As he jumped over one of the waterways, Presea landed in front of him and twirled in a circle shouting, "Devastation!"

Lloyd tried to roll his momentum backwards, hoping to dodge the attack once more, but it was a split second too slow and the sharp metal dug a deep cut across one of his legs. Crying out he resorted to his swords in a futile attempt to convince his friend of his identity. "Presea, please listen to me! You have to stop attacking me and come to your senses!"

The pink haired child paused and for a second, Lloyd thought he'd gotten through to her, but then she raised both arms above her head and came striking down. There was a crashing sound and a flash of light, but when Lloyd looked again, his breath caught in his throat.

Still holding the axe above Lloyd's head, Presea looked down and saw one of his swords piercing through her abdomen. A moment later, as her weight fell down towards the moistened stone beneath, she slowly slid off his sword, her crimson blood dripping along the length of the blade. Lloyd was frozen in shock when she collapsed to the ground and lay there unmoving. Her blood drained from each side of the wound, joining with the stream from Meltokio to make a current of innocence destined to be lost forever.

"Presea!? Presea!" Lloyd fell to his knees and ignored his own blood flowing from his wound as he continued to stare at her small body. His eyes immediately watered and he shook his head in anguish. "Why!? What's going on here!?"

"It seems the truth comes out."

Gasping, Lloyd looked over and saw Regal standing there, staring sadly at Presea. His hands were still bound in front of him, but Lloyd could see his hands were balled up into fists. "R-Regal! I-It's not what you think!" He tried to explain. "The crystal…"

"She has been yet another victim decimated without care and without regret." Regal ignored Lloyd's stuttering response and narrowed his eyes. "I should've known you'd turn on us sooner or later." He lifted his head and glared with resentment at Lloyd.

Using his swords to get to his feet, Lloyd lost himself in the rage that burned within Regal's stare. At one time this man, devastated with the fact that he had been forced to kill the one he loved, believed himself a criminal and dangerous to society. Lloyd and the others convinced him that it wasn't his fault and that he had actually freed the one he so loved from her torture. What had happened to that man? The one who strived to right all the wrongs created by Mithos and the Angels of Cruxis?

"Though she may not be able to defend herself now…" Regal pulled back both hands to his side and they began to glow white. "I will not see her murderer get away!"

"Regal no!" Lloyd pleaded, but was slammed back into the sewer wall with the exsphere-induced attack. Never again would Regal use those hands to fight…then why?

Lloyd's head collided with the age-old stone and as he slumped to the floor, his swords fell loosely to the side and clattered loudly against the misty floor. Hot blood gushed from the wound at the back of his head and trickled down his neck, back and shoulders. It soaked him and made him feel an unnatural cold that seeped deep within his skin. His head was throbbing and he wanted to cry out in pain, but no sound came out. He tried to will his limbs to move, but they wouldn't listen…

Heimdall 

Everyone was jolted by Lloyd's sudden outcry and jumped to their feet when he began to violently thrash about in bed, throwing the covers off and almost falling off the cushions themselves. Colette, who had yet to fall asleep, cried at the torment he was going through yet couldn't find it within her to even move. She was frozen to her spot with fear for his safety. At the moment, Regal and Presea were out in the village searching for food and supplies to bring back to the others.

"What's going on!?" Genis exclaimed from Colette's side.

His older sister ran to Lloyd's side in an attempt to see exactly what was wrong, but couldn't get near the agitated youth while he continued to swing his arms and legs madly.

"Hold him down before he hurts himself!" Altessa exclaimed.

Zelos jumped forward and grabbed one of Lloyd's arms while Dirk grabbed the other and held down his upper body. Genis threw himself on top of both Lloyd's legs securely them down as best as he could. With everyone already upset, Genis attempted to hold back his own tears.

Zelos grunted with the resistance Lloyd was showing and was amazed how much strength the swordsman actually possessed. "Calm down, buddy. Hang in there." He tried to soothe his friend.

Lloyd eventually quieted down and returned to whimpers and moans. Raine whipped his head of the sweat and looked over at her little brother as he slowly got off the bed. "G-Genis! You're bleeding!"

The young half-elf looked down in shock and saw his knees and most of his legs were covered in blood. "I-it's not mine! I'm not even hurt!"

Dirk pulled up Lloyd's pant leg and gasped when he saw Lloyd had suffered a new injury. "Where did he get this from? Get some bandages over here quickly!"

Raine rushed to her bag and immediately searched for the requested items.

Colette couldn't take it anymore and fell to her knees. Zelos saw this and caught her before she hit the ground. "Whoa, careful there."

Her face was one of shock and disbelief. Even though she didn't say anything or react to her fellow Chosen's comment, the tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

"I'll go see if the item shop has any more bandages or gels." Altessa offered, exiting the small house.

Raine and Sheena began wrapping up Lloyd's leg while Genis used some cloth to clean himself off. Dirk remained by his son's side and held onto his hand, covering the pulsating cruxis crystal on the boy's left. "I'm here for ya, son."

Kratos scoffed quietly to himself and slipped out unnoticed.

Near Palmacosta 

Lloyd wondered around and found himself in a grassy clearing somewhere near Palmacosta. He could hear the ocean, but couldn't see it. The wind was light but chilly and carried with it the unmistakable scent of seawater. It wasn't too chilly, he noted to himself, and the only sound he could hear was the far off waves. He frowned and listened intently to the night air. Where were the nightingales? Where were the other nocturnal animals to sing their preludes of the night? "Where am I?"

As he continued to walk, he saw a woman standing in the distance. She wore a medium lavender dress with a long-sleeved black shirt underneath. Long pink ribbon tails blew behind her from a sash around her waist. He knew this summoning ninja. She had gone from trying to assassinate Colette to being a strong ally and friend. "Sheena!" He called out with a smile.

Sighing sadly, she bowed her head and stared at her hands. "They all gave so much but because of me, they were all killed by Volt." Her voice was accusing and held a slight waiver.

Lloyd approached her slowly, seeing how close to the edge of the cliff she was. "Sheena, you've grown strong since then, you can't blame yourself for their deaths." He comforted, knowing of what she spoke.

"It's because of you that I was banished from the village, Lloyd." Sheena raised her head and gazed sadly at the warrior. "I was supposed to kill the Chosen One Colette in order to redeem myself, but you wouldn't let me."

Lloyd took an uneasy step backwards. "W-what?"

Sheena turned towards Lloyd, her back to the rocky cliffs. "They would've accepted me back and forgiven me for my crime if I had succeeded in my mission." She pulled out one of her elemental cards. "Is one person's life not worth that of a hundred?"

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd frowned. She wasn't making any sense. Was she talking about Colette's life… or her own?

Sheena scoffed and raised the seemingly frail looking piece of paper. "Had Colette died, the spirits of those who died in Volt's tower would've been put to rest. My redemption would've been complete and I could've returned to the village a hero instead of a criminal." Her garnet colored eyes glared at Lloyd. "Or would you prefer I gave _my_ life to quell their requisitions instead?"

"No!" Lloyd shook his head. "I don't want anyone else to die! Not for a sacrifice, nor for redemption. Those from your village know you tried your best and the fact that you succeeded in order to save the world, and in turn your village, would've made them proud. No one blames you! You have nothing to feel guilty about anymore!"

Sheena's body shook from withheld anger and sadness and she lowered her card to her side once more. "Heh, a world where no one has to die? Is it a myth? Like the hero Mithos and the Goddess Martel was a myth?"

"That's not true!" Lloyd began stepping forward. Sheena, in her present condition, was in danger being so close to the edge. "Martel does exist and as long as the world is filled with caring and love, the mana tree will continue to flourish as proof of her existence." He held out a hand towards the summoner. "I'm sure the spirits of the departed would want you to see the regenerated world with your own eyes as well."

Sheena took a step backwards, away from Lloyd, and shook her head. "No, I can hear their voices…they blame me! I should've died with them!"

"Sheena watch out!" Lloyd called out in fear.

"Get away from me!" Sheena exclaimed, activated the fire card in her grasp. Fire erupted all around the Mizuho ninja and Lloyd had to throw up his arms to block the dangerous blaze. His sleeves caught on fire, but when he lowered them down again he saw Sheena fall over the side of the cliff. "No!" Reaching out, he missed her hand and crashed against the ground instead.

The grass extinguished the blaze on his arms, but his eyes would not tear away from the falling body of his friend. "Sheena!" When her body collided with the rocky boulders below and her blood splattered against the shore, Lloyd clenched his eyes shut in anguish. "SHEENA!"

"You just let her die, didn't you?"

Looking behind him, Lloyd saw Zelos standing in the meadow, the night air picking up and swaying the chosen's flaming red hair on its currents. "No...I tried to stop her, but she…" Lloyd's voice cracked as he relived the traumatic experience.

"Some of us are destined to die. Sacrificed so others could live." Zelos said quietly, but loud enough so Lloyd could hear.

Lloyd shook his head angrily and balled his hands into fists. "No! Everyone has the right to live!" He glared at the warrior before him. "From the day they are born, they should be given the choice how to live their life! We all are!"

Zelos scoffed with a smile and unsheathed his sword. Raising it up, he stared into the blade's smooth surface. Instead of seeing his own face, he saw Sheena's smiling face looking back and felt the pain of her absence. Their relationship had always been rocky, but he'd always expected to have the time to tell her how he really felt. Never before had a woman affected him so and he knew what it meant. He loved her. "Do you think she chose to die? If I _choose_ to trade my life for hers…you think it'll work?"

Lloyd immediately caught on and began running forward, his hand outstretched. "No, don't!"

Pulling the blade down, Zelos stabbed himself through the stomach. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt, but in light of it all, he saw Sheena's translucent figure ready to lead him to the kingdom of heaven. "Sheena…"

Lloyd had yet to reach the warrior's side when Zelos fell to his knees, the sword still bisecting him. Zelos' eyes lost their gleam, but the smile on his lips remained. As he finally closed his eyes and fell to the side, Lloyd's vision was enveloped in a red light emanating from the perishing Chosen and he couldn't see a thing. "Zelos!"

Heimdall 

Raine squeezed out the cloth and dipped it back into the bowl with fresh cool water and replaced it on Lloyd's forehead. "He's running an unusually high fever." She said sadly. Just recently, the boy had cried out in another fit and his arms reddened as if he'd held them in a fireplace. It was increasingly difficult for the healer to tend to all his injuries. On top of that, the pillow behind his head had soaked with blood, revealing yet another injury they'd missed earlier, and the teacher had acted quickly to wrap that as well.

Regal and Presea had returned with ingredients for Genis to cook with and everyone ate in silence. Only Dirk refused to eat until his son was well. Genis stood by Colette and held up a bowl of soup. "I know it's hard but you won't be any good to Lloyd if you don't eat." He knew his friend would want someone to look after Colette while he was out. _Right now, this is the best I can do for him. _Genis thought sadly.

Colette though, remained by Lloyd's side and sat in a chair, attending to him every moment she could. She wanted to be the first one he saw when he woke up…_if_ he woke up. She slowly shook her head in refusal.

Sheena saw this and came over, placing a gentle hand on the young angel's shoulder. "Why don't you take a break? I can take over and watch him in case anything else happens."

Again Colette shook her head. "I…want to be there for Lloyd…just like he was always there for me."

Regal stood quietly by the entrance. "Then perhaps some fresh air would make you feel better. If you do nothing, we will have _two_ sick people on our hands instead of one."

Colette's eyes widened and she looked up at the usually gentle man. "I…I guess." She slowly stood up and walked out of the hut, followed by Regal.

Genis sighed and placed the bowl on the bed stand. "How long is this going to go on for? I don't think Lloyd can take much more."

Sheena shrugged. "We don't really know. So far we've only dealt with full angels. Colette was slowly transformed into an angel and so the effects also came at her slowly."

Raine nodded in agreement. "Lloyd on the other hand has received all the abilities and powers at once. I'm assuming it happened just before he germinated the Great Seed."

"With Kratos' blood, Lloyd's what…a half angel?" Genis asked.

"Isn't that what Altessa said earlier?" Sheena asked. "Anyways, all we can do is wait it out. Hopefully it won't be much longer."

Outside, Colette sat on one of the benches near where she'd landed the rheairds and sighed sadly. It was cold outside, but she didn't care. Even the droplets of water that fell from the sky didn't bother her. All she could think about was Lloyd. After everything he'd done for her, she couldn't find one thing she could do to make this easier for him.

Regal had offered to stay with her, but she refused and he'd relented to standing near by incase she changed her mind. Presently he was by the water's edge at the small pond, staring at his reflection.

"May I join you?"

Colette looked up from the ground and saw Presea in front of her. Not having the energy to refuse anymore, she simply looked back down at her lap.

Slowly Presea took a seat next to her and leaned back, looking up at the night sky. The bench they were on was covered, so the rain that had begun did not hit them, but the sound of falling raindrops on the wood created a kind of symphony that was pleasing to the ear. Regal appeared not to be bothered by the downpour, so she let him be.

For a moment, neither said anything and Colette was beginning to wonder why the girl had bothered to come out at all. "When I first regain my heart and memory after I received Lloyd's key crest, I was overwhelmed with grief over not only the death of my father, but also my lost time."

Colette refused to raise her head, but looked over towards the girl next to her. "…"

"I felt I was never to regain the lost time and had actually lost part of my soul, if not all of it, during my servitude under Rodyle." Presea turned to Colette and slowly placed a hand over one of hers. "But then I realized that it wasn't about the time that I had lost, but making the most of the life I was given back by Lloyd and all of you. Had you not been there, I am not sure I would've been able to leave that house, even after everything."

Colette gasped and finally raised her head to meet Presea's calculative jade gaze.

"I was never without my soul, you all made me see that, and now I have friends that I wouldn't trade for the world." Presea, for the mere second time since Colette had met her, smiled. "No matter what happens, everyone in our group is there for each other and that means you too. We are all worried about Lloyd, but we don't want you to suffer so much either. Please, do not push us away."

"No, it's not like that, I just…" Colette sighed. "I can't focus on anything but Lloyd and…"

"But do you believe Lloyd would want you to hurt yourself because you were worried for him?" Presea interrupted.

"Hurt...myself?" Colette echoed. She hadn't thought about it like that. The others knew she was pushing herself too hard by not eating and even though Lloyd was in pain, they were also worried about her. Smiling a little, Colette nodded to Presea. "Thanks. I feel a little better now."

"Good because I don't think you have much time to eat any more of Genis' soup. Zelos will probably have eaten it all by now." Presea said this quite seriously, but the energetic girl next to her broke out in giggles. After a moment, Presea joined in with the laughter and together they stood to walk back to the hut.

Though he hadn't said anything, Regal was listening intently to their conversation and smiled to himself. "Presea…" Seeing such emotion from the girl was an immense relief to Regal. He had been afraid the after effects would be permanent, but now he knew that was not the case. Slowly, she was regaining not her soul, but her humanity. And that, to Regal, was more important than anything. "Are you watching, Alicia? I swore to you that day I would protect her, and I will keep my promise."

In another part of the village, Zelos walked around looking for Kratos, finally realizing the angel had disappeared sometime earlier and was curious to find out where he'd run off to. "It's not like it's that big of a village."

Approaching the edge of the sacred Torrent Forest, which surrounded Origin's seal, Zelos shrugged and walked in, being the only other place he hadn't checked yet. Surprisingly, the forest was clear of monsters, probably having disappeared because they were no longer needed to guard the mythical landscape. Origin no longer resided here and instead traveled with the warrior who'd recently made a pact with him, Lloyd Irving.

Zelos easily found his way through the pathways and found Kratos standing pensively in front of the headstone. The Chosen didn't want to startle the warrior and knowing the angel probably already sensed his presence, stayed quietly watching until Kratos spoke first. The constant rain had long soaked through Zelos' clothing as well as Kratos', but neither seemed bothered by it.

"Lloyd…is he alright?" Kratos asked quietly.

"Well, it took everyone to hold him down, but he's unharmed for the most part. The bleeding stopped right before I left to find you." Zelos reported.

"That's good." The angel breathed a sigh of relief. "I cannot help but think it's my fault he's going through that now." Pausing, Kratos held a hand over his cruxis crystal. So many mistakes he had to atone for… "It's my tainted blood running through his veins and is causing him to suffer."

"Tainted?" Zelos frowned. "You sound as if you're a half-elf or something, and even then you'd be wrong." Walking to the older man's side, Zelos held both hands on the tip of his sheathed sword. "The way I see it, you're the reason he's got a fighting chance."

"Hmm?" Kratos' back straightened and he looked curiously over at the former Chosen of Tethe'alla.

"Yeah I mean, with no mana in his body, had he been human he would've already been dead. Even you said because he's a half-angel his mind won't be taken over by the cruxis crystal. You're saving him from being turned into a puppet like Colette and Presea were." Zelos smiled in self-pride at his show of intelligence.

Kratos scoffed but smiled nonetheless. "Perhaps you are right, but I still fear for his safety. At this point in history, being an angel – or even a half-angel – will not bode well for him."

Zelos shrugged. "Who better to protect him than his father?"

Kratos wouldn't say it allowed, for fear of bloating the youth's ego more, but Zelos could be quite convincing and compassionate when the time called for it. "Might I suggest we head back towards the village? When Lloyd awakens, he will no doubt want to push himself and leave on another infernal adventure. At that time, it's going to take both of us to hold him down to get him to rest."

Laughing, Zelos patted the angel on the back the same way he would a close friend and not someone who'd, at one point, been against them. But then again, Zelos had been there, betrayed the group – even if in the end it was for their own benefit, and could understand Kratos probably better than most, minus Lloyd. Somehow that boy had a way of getting past Kratos' barriers – an annoying talent inherited by his mother no doubt. "But it's that 'infernal adventure' that saved two worlds and everyone living on them, so you can't hold it against him."

Kratos walked with the boy back towards the village and said quite seriously, "Watch me."

Near Meltokio 

Lloyd looked around and approached a group of humans who were circled around something…or someone. They were all armed with crude weapons, such as shovels and pitchforks, and shouted angrily with incoherent curses and accusations.

"We don't want their kind here!"

"Let's just get rid of them and do this whole world a favor!"

Lloyd frowned and tried to see over the back of the angry mob. "What's going on here?" He asked in a demanding voice.

As one, they all turned towards him and pointed accusingly to those trapped inside. "A couple of half-elves tried to enter the city!" One exclaimed.

"We're going to put an end to their filthy existence!" Another announced.

"What!?" Jumping up, Lloyd was once again thankful for his exsphere as he jumped over all their heads and ended up in the clearing in the center. He was shocked to see Raine and Genis, both of their weapons out and at the ready. "You guys! Professor Sage! Genis! Are you okay!?"

"He's with the half-elves! Get him!"  
As one, the humans dove in and started to fight. Immediately, Lloyd unsheathed his two swords and held off the mob as best as he could. Fighting villagers meant Lloyd had to resort to non-lethal measures and at times like this it was actually harder than fighting monsters with intent to kill. _I'm not gonna let anyone else die before my eyes! Not when I can stop it!_

"Gentle winds gather before me and turn into waves of air. Cyclone!" Lloyd heard Genis shout.

From underneath his feet, a gust of wind picked the warrior up off the ground and threw him a few meters into the air, twisting and turning his body before he landed harshly back on the floor. Moaning, he turned and looked at Genis and Raine in shock. "W-what's… going on?" Somehow all the angry villagers had disappeared, leaving Lloyd alone with the half-elves.

Raine held her staff out in front of her and glared at her former student. "We don't want _your_ help." She stated.

Genis pointed his Falling Star at Lloyd and nodded. "Yeah, you're a _human_. You're one of them."

Lloyd got to his feet and frowned. "What? But I thought you trusted me, Genis. I thought you liked me!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "We're best friends, remember?"

"Humans and half-elves can't be friends." Raine said with disgust. "They are far too different."

Lloyd shook his head, swords still at hand. "We _can_ create a world where everyone is equal! We can make people see the error in their ways and we can make a difference!" He insisted. "But only if we overcome _our_ differences and work together!"

Genis scoffed and uncharacteristically sneered at his "friend". "That kind of world doesn't exist!" Mana charging up beneath him, Genis twirled his weapon and shouted, "Gravity Well!"

Lloyd's body was covered in a black-hued shield and within it, he could feel an immeasurable force sucking him down into the black abyss that had opened up beneath his feet. "No! Professor! Genis!"

Lloyd closed his eyes and felt himself falling and falling increasingly fast. Then a jolt of pain erupted from his back and large angelic wings grew out to either side of him, filling the void with sparkling feathers. One flap from the mighty wings and Lloyd stopped his dangerous descent.

When he opened his eyes and looked around, he immediately saw that he wasn't alone. "Colette!" The blonde girl had her head bowed, but upon hearing her name, raised up and looked at Lloyd with hollowed, emotionless eyes. "No, not you too!" He exclaimed.

Before he could say more, Colette came at him with both chakrams at hand, and she sliced repetitively at her warrior friend. Lloyd did his best to block the attacks, but refused to strike back. "Stop this Colette! It's me!" But he knew his words would have the same effect as they had on Presea…none at all.

Suddenly though, the chosen angel-girl ceased her attack and flew off to the side, stopping next to another of her kind. This one had short brown hair that covered one eye and had his arms crossed in disproval. "Dad!"

Kratos, his angelic wings keeping him suspended in the pit of darkness that surrounded them, opened his eyes and regarded his son coolly. "I warned you."

"What?" Lloyd frowned. "Warned me about what?"

"I told you to take the key crest off her if you truly wanted to save her, but you wouldn't listen." Kratos explained.

Lloyd was at a loss of words and as he looked down in sadness, he saw large bubbles rise from the darkness below and quickly surround him, floating upwards. In them Lloyd recognized moments of his life…though appearing random at first, Lloyd began to see the significance of many.

"Lloyd, your fighting skills are…self taught?" "That's right."

"Your swordsmanship is…unrefined. You should focus on eliminated your weaknesses…if you value your life."

"It's Kratos! What are _you_ doing here?" "It's you…I was just looking at the sky." "Don't lie!" "Hmm, then how about I was scheming how to get rid of those that are in Lord Yggdrasill's way?"

"Chosen One. If you want to live… you'll take off that worthless key crest." "No! I'm never taking it off. Lloyd gave this to me." "Hmph, foolish sentiments."

Lloyd felt a mix of emotions from the flashbacks. He admired his father for giving him such advice so early in their journey. It probably saved his life dozens of times in their quest to regenerate the world. He felt guilty for knowing that his faulty made key crest led to Colette being infected and almost crystallized by her cruxis crystal. He also felt bad for being so suspicious of Kratos when the entire time, the angel was only looking for a way to help them and ultimately stop Mithos. Then he felt confusion over his present situation. "What's all this supposed to mean!? We made the new key crest! Colette should be fine!"

"Why because you say so? Should people treat others equally because you say so? Killing will continue, discrimination will continue, the cycle _will_ continue no matter what you say. You have changed _nothing._" Kratos replied coldly.

Getting angry, Lloyd shouted back at his biological father. "Yeah well at least I tried! I didn't just sit back and let someone else do all the work!" He accused.

"Don't tell me you expect those pathetic Dwarven vows to redeem you now." Kratos said indignantly. "For you there will be no redemption. No mercy."

"I don't need redemption cause I haven't done anything wrong!" Anger getting the best of him, he flew at his father, swords at hand, and slashed madly.

Kratos pulled his sword from its sheath and blocked the attack. "See? You haven't even improved yourself since we last battled. You're pathetic!"

Lloyd slashed again and again, following up with a kick to the cocky angel's chest, slamming him back. "If I remember correctly, I _beat_ you then and I can do it again!"

Heimdall 

Kratos and Zelos finally made it back to the village just in time to hear commotion explode from the hut where Lloyd was staying. Then before they could react, the door flew open and Lloyd jumped through.

Zelos gasped upon seeing the youth's eyes. "Dude! Maybe he really _has_ lost his soul!" Lloyd's brown eyes held no light of their own and he appeared to be possessed.

"Lloyd!" Colette shouted, coming through the doorway outside. She had been shocked when she and Presea had returned to find Genis, Raine, and both dwarves thrown back against the walls, dazed.

Lloyd's wounds reopened and his bandages quickly soaked through with blood. The burns on his arms got worse and also began to grow, covering the upper part of his hands and neck now too. Pulling both swords free from their sheathes, Lloyd pointed at Kratos with one and said, "We end this now."

Kratos, unmoved by the rash display, looked at his son critically. He could sense the boy's soul was indeed still there, unlike when Colette had lost her heart and memory because of the cruxis crystal, but something else wasn't right. "Is that so?" He said carefully, playing along.

Inside Lloyd's mind, he continued to battle his father, dashing this way and that within the black abyss. The navy blue of the older man's outfit made it difficult to track him in the dark.

In reality, Lloyd grit his teeth and his long angelic wings flew out to either side of him and he took to the air. Everyone was left on the ground in shock, but Colette called forth her wings and prepared to take off after him.

"No, stay here." Kratos commanded the girl. "I will deal with this." His angel wings appeared and he flew into the air after his son.

"Kratos…" Colette clasped her hands in front of her sadly and relented.

Zelos walked up to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry. He'll bring Lloyd back safely."

Sheena appeared on the girl's other side and gently pushed Zelos' arm off, knowing his ploy to try and hold Colette, and forced a smile, content with the pouting reaction she got from Zelos. "Yeah, what he said."

Colette nodded, but refused to take her eyes off the sky. "I hope you're right."

High above Heimdall, Kratos found Lloyd waiting for him. "Is there a reason for this battle?"

"I don't care what you say! I am stronger and I'm gonna prove it to you!" Lloyd shouted, diving at Kratos with amazing speed.

Juking to the side, Kratos frowned at the strange response. "It doesn't even appear as if he can hear me which means he's…dreaming?" It was a weird occurrence, but it would explain a lot. Since Kratos pretty much blacked out during half of his transformation, he can't say if he dreamed or not, but he assumed what Lloyd was going through now was similar to if a person was caught sleepwalking.

Spinning around, Lloyd came at Kratos again, and this time the angel was forced to draw his sword to deflect the attacks for fear of being injured himself. "Then what I must do is simply incapacitate him." On the bright side, the transformation was pretty much complete and if Kratos failed to bring the boy down, the lack of mana would soon cause the boy to go unconscious anyway.

In the abyss, Lloyd attacked with one sword, then the other, landing multiple hits across his father's chest. The blood that splattered was not red, but black in color and fell down the pit like rain. "As long as we stay true to ourselves and strive to overcome our past failures, we're capable of anything!"

The Kratos he fought held his sword to the side. "So far all I hear is talk. When will there be action?"

"Lloyd! Get a hold of yourself!" Kratos said in a loud, yet calm voice. He had succeeding in keeping the boy at bay, but he had to admit, the youth's skills had improved greatly and the angel probably couldn't hold up against him for much longer. "Whatever you're seeing isn't real! Come back to this reality!" He tried to convince his son. "Come back to us!"

_"Come back to us!"_

Lloyd frowned and turned his attention from his father to one of the memory bubbles that floated up from the ground. In it he saw Kratos, his wings sparkling behind him, but his eyes were sad. "Dad?" It was raining and the angel's soaked hair clung to his cheeks.

"There are people on this side who still need you! You can't give up on them! Your mission isn't finished!" Kratos exclaimed, shocked that his son had ceased attacking him.

Lloyd paused and saw the bubble grow to a kind of portal. "T-they're all still alive?"

Above Heimdall, Kratos frowned at the sentence. "Of course! And they're all very worried about you. You have to come back now!"

Lloyd looked back at the lone figure of his father surrounded by darkness, and the soulless Colette who had yet to speak or even smile at him. "This isn't real. This isn't the way things should be." Then he turned back towards the bubble and flew through…

Kratos watched as his son blinked and felt relief flow through him when they regained their gleam. "D-dad? Is…is everyone okay?"

Sensing he was out of danger, Kratos sheathed his sword. "Yes, they're all fine."

Smiling, Lloyd closed his eyes. "I'm glad."

Gasping, Kratos watched Lloyd drop his swords and as his wings disappeared, he fell like a rock out of the night sky. "Lloyd!" Diving after him, Kratos pushed himself to fly faster in order to catch up with his son.

As the two came into view of those still on the ground, it was unsure if Kratos would make it in time. "Lloyd!" Colette exclaimed.

Twisting around in midair, Kratos finally caught up with Lloyd, but without enough time left to react, he aimed his back towards the ground and crashed into the forestry floor.

"Kratos! Lloyd!" Sheena exclaimed, following everyone else to their side.

Regal helped Kratos to his feet while the angel refused to let go of his unconscious son's body. "Are you alright?"

"Well, sleeping comfortably will be out of the question for a couple of days, but I think I'll live." Kratos replied. In truth, he should've broken his back and perished, but thanks to his angel powers, he would survive with mild discomfort…and mud-soaked clothes.

"And Lloyd?" Colette asked worriedly.

Looking down into his son's face, Kratos half-smiled. "The process is over. Now he just needs rest."

Everyone sighed with relief and relaxed for the first time in hours. "Thank the goddess." Sheena spoke for everyone, then turned around looking for Zelos. "Hey, where'd Red go?" She asked.

Back in front of the hut, Zelos stood frozen with a shocked expression on his face.

"It appears he's frightened to come near us." Presea concluded with a tilt of her head.

"Frightened… isn't the word for it." Zelos said in an unusually high-toned voice. Looking down he saw one of Lloyd's fallen swords standing straight up, embedded in the mud about an inch from his body, right in front of him. Behind him the other sword protruded from the ground in the same manner. "I almost lost something _very_ important because of that brat!" He said once he recovered from the shock.

Laughing, Sheena came over and pulled the front sword free from the ground and held it playfully to Zelos' throat. "I'm sure the women of the world wouldn't miss something like_ that_."

This got everyone laughing as they walked with Kratos back inside. Somehow no matter how dark things got for them, as long as they had each other, they always pulled through. That was the power of friendship.


	3. A Grand Homecoming

A Grand Homecoming

_"Dwarven Vow #1: Let's all work together for a peaceful world."_

Near Iselia Forest 

The wind blew the water and created small waves that beat gently against the shore below. There was nothing on the horizon except water as far as the eye could see. It was here, just north of his house, that Lloyd would bring Colette and together they enjoyed a peaceful day without school, without responsibilities, and without those stupid dwarven vows his father insisted he memorize.

Lloyd sat on the shore with his bare feet partially covered in the sand. In front of him Colette laughed and played fetch with his dog Noishe. Lloyd felt relaxed and soaked in the afternoon's warm rays of sunshine. Back at his house, the forest blocked out a lot of the sunshine, so the young warrior enjoyed it while he had the chance.

"Come on, Lloyd! Come join us!" Colette giggled as Noishe brought back the stick she'd thrown and whined sadly.

Lloyd laughed at how cute she looked. Instead of that white and blue coat and pants she insisted on wearing all the time, conforming to the regulations of the Temple of Martel, she wore a pink tank top and blue shorts. "I think Noishe would get jealous if I butted in!"

Colette scratched the green and white furred dog behind his oversized ears before throwing the stick again and skipping to Lloyd's side. She plopped down next to him and grabbed one of the sandwiches Dirk had prepared for them earlier. "You're no fun!"

Lloyd smiled and leaned forward on one elbow as he lost himself in her sea blue eyes. "When did I agree to that?"

Taking a bite of the sandwich, Colette looked curiously at her friend and frowned. "Agree? Did we promise something?"

He laughed at her ignorance. "When did I agree to have fun with you? I'm just here to baby-sit for Phaidra." He winked and laughed when she got a horrified look on her face. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Gosh, you are so gullible! Did anyone ever tell you that?"

She playfully punched him in the arm and turned her gaze to the open ocean. "Do you cherish times like these, Lloyd?"

"Huh?" Lloyd sat back up and pulled up his knees so he could rest his arms on them and shrugged. "I guess so, but we do this all the time."

"I do. I cherish everyday I'm blessed to live. I don't want to be someone who takes all that for granted." She said mostly to herself. Then smiling, she turned back to him. "So promise me now, Lloyd. We'll always be friends, right? No matter what?"

"What are you talking about, you dork?" He ruffled up her hair a little bit. "Of course we will."

She held up her pinky finger. "No matter what? Promise?" She still held her smile, but something about it seemed fake.

Lloyd nodded and interlaced his pinky with hers. "Yeah, promise."

Heimdall 

Moaning, Lloyd rolled onto his back, still imagining the beach when he opened his eyes and found himself not exactly there. He blinked a few times, finally recognizing that he was staring at a wooden roof and frowned. "W-where…?"

"He's awake!" He heard Colette next to him and turned his head, still confused. "Lloyd, you're alright!" Her eyes misted up with tears of joy and relief as she clasped his hand in both of hers. "You had me worried!"

Coming up behind her, Sheena and Zelos smiled. "She means you had _us_ worried." The ninja corrected.

"Maybe them, but _I_ knew you'd make it." Zelos crossed his arms confidently, then narrowed his eyes at the fallen warrior. "But I still haven't forgiven you for almost taking out the future Zelos Wilders!"

"What?" That only succeeded in further confusing the youth.

"Ignore him, he's a little feisty this morning." Sheena said, escorting the Chosen out of the way so others of the group could approach.

"Though I couldn't be of much help, it appears everything's over and you're back to normal." Raine reported sadly.

Genis was at his side and forced a smile for his friend, even though he wanted to cry out of relief much as Colette was. "I knew you'd pull through! You're too stubborn to go down without a fight!"

Lloyd tried to sit up, but felt horribly weak and needed to have assistance from the others. "What happened? The last thing I remember is seeing the Goddess Martel and naming the mana tree…Where am I now?"

"You're at Heimdall." Colette explained. "You collapsed shortly after everything and we brought you here." She lowered her head in sadness. "I didn't know what else to do."

"She is withholding the truth." Presea said in a straight tone. "She instructed us all in the best path of advancement and brought Altessa and both your parents here to oversee your safety."

"She showed great leadership skills under pressure." Regal agreed behind the small girl.

Looking at the base of the bed, Lloyd saw the two dwarfs and his father looking at him. The size difference between Kratos and the two dwarves was almost comical, had they not all worn such serious expressions. "Somehow I don't think you guys are done explaining everything, are you?"

Altessa cleared his throat and began the explanation. "Do you remember how you germinated the Great Seed Lloyd?"

Thinking back, Lloyd nodded. "I heard mom's voice and somehow grew wings to fly into the air." It surprised him he was just thinking about it now, but then again, the entire world was at stake, so action had been needed more than thought.

"You heard…Anna?" Kratos asked in shock.

Lifting up his left hand, Lloyd looked curiously at his exsphere. "I heard her voice and then my exsphere activated."

"Her spirit continues to protect ya, Lloyd." Dirk said softly.

"Except it is no longer an exsphere, but a cruxis crystal." Kratos explained. "And the wings can be easily explained…"

"It's because of you, huh?" Lloyd interrupted. He saw his father's downtrodden face, but smiled. "Guess I owe ya one, huh?"

The light tone made Kratos scoff, but he too held a smile. "Call it what you will."

"Lloyd, this is very important." Altessa drew his attention back to the problem. "The crystal gave you angelic abilities and because of the angel blood from your father, you were able to survive the transformation, but past that I can't guarantee you won't feel other residual effects. If you're gonna be using your abilities, use them with caution."

Lloyd nodded. "I understand."

Raine pulled the covers down and began to check Lloyd's injuries while the others caught up with the patient.

"Do you remember anything after the tree to now?" Colette asked.

"Not really, it's all a blur." He admitted.

"That's probably for the best." Kratos commented.

When Raine unraveled the last bandage around his leg, she gasped in shock.

"What? What's wrong?" Lloyd asked, worriedly.

When she removed the bandages around his head, she received the same result. "His wounds have completely healed themselves." Try as she might, and even with the power of the unicorn horn, she had been unable to do anything but stop the bleeding of the massive injuries and now it was like they'd never been there.

"Wounds? Was I in a battle?" Lloyd looked around at everybody.

Zelos smirked and held up a thumb. "You sure were man! You ran out of the hut and – ow!" He rubbed his head where Sheena had smacked him. "What!?"

"Idiot." She murmured, then went back to leaning up against the wall.

Kratos cleared his throat and spoke up. "Perhaps it is wise we decide where we plan to go next. I doubt the village elder will tolerate our presence for much longer."

Lloyd nodded understandingly. "So where _are_ we gonna go next?" Usually their next destination was pretty much decided for them, but with the world finally at peace, or so he assumed, the choices were infinite.

"The king will probably want to hear a report from me soon anyways." Zelos spoke up, then crossed his arms with a smile. "And of course he'll want to throw a party in _my_ honor."

Sheena threw a punch at his arm, but this time he was ready and caught it. "What do you mean_ your_ honor?"

Laughing nervously, Zelos released her, but made sure to keep his distance.

"It's a place to start. If I remember correctly, Meltokio is close by and we can all decide how to proceed from there." Regal agreed with the overzealous chosen.

"Agreed. As soon as Lloyd can walk, we'll be on our way." Kratos agreed.

Throwing his legs over the side, Lloyd stood up and bent his arms to show his strength. "I feel great! We can leave right away."

Colette blushed as he stood up next to her and tried to keep her eyes on his head. "Um…Lloyd?"

He looked at her as he lowered his arms. "Huh?"

"You may require additional clothing before going outside." Presea pointed to his chest and looking down, Lloyd immediately noticed he didn't have a shirt on.

Blushing bright red, Lloyd quickly grabbed the shirt Raine had knowingly held out for him and threw it on. Genis was busting up and Colette followed in with giggles of her own as soon as she overcame her shock.

Being the first outside, Kratos waited patiently by the parked rheairds as the rest of the group filed out of the hut. The sky was clear of any rain clouds and the trees sparkled with dew, filling the village with a pleasant, refreshed scent. The angel had long ago decided what he was going to do, but had yet to bring it up to Lloyd. As much as it seemed that all was said and done, there was far more that had yet to occur, but Kratos knew and he needed to be ready. Of course, if Lloyd found out it would be difficult to convince him of Kratos' actions, so the angel had to tread cautiously.

As Lloyd sheathed his swords and adjusted his suspenders, Colette stayed behind and looked strangely at her friend. Noticing her gaze, Lloyd frowned. "What's up, Colette?"

Sighing sadly, Colette looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry, Lloyd. When everything started happening, I froze up. I didn't know what to do." She felt her throat tightened up at the memory but refused to cry. "You just started bleeding for no reason and I…"

Coming up to her, Lloyd lifted her chin and smiled softly. "Hey, don't worry. You did good. I'm still here, aren't I?" It was easy for him to take it lightly because he still didn't remember everything.

Colette clasped her hands in front of her. "But I didn't do anything to help!"

Lloyd cupped his hands around hers and looked directly into her worried eyes. "Sometimes just being there for a person helps them more than anything else."

Colette frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Without breaking his gaze, Lloyd thought back to his dream. "You were the first person I saw when I woke up, and that's something I'll never forget. Not taking moments like that for granted…you're the one that taught me that, Colette."

Smiling, the angel-girl felt ten times better and wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks Lloyd. I'm sorry for making you worry about nothing."

He rolled his eyes, but returned the hug. "We gotta work on that bad habit of yours. Besides, I should be the one apologizing. It sounds like I gave everyone a big scare last night."

She laughed and said, "Only Zelos." Then she pulled away and together they exited the hut to join the others, hand in hand.

Outside, Colette and Lloyd were met with not only their friends, but also the elder and a good portion of the village. "Has…something happened?" She wondered aloud.

"Chosen One, we have discussed your words and have come to a decision." The elder said first. "When the king begins organizing the new government for the regenerated world, let him know that an envoy from the village of Heimdall would also like to be present."

Gasping, Colette looked from Lloyd back to the elder. "You're not going to stay in hiding anymore?"

Shaking his head, the elder smiled. "If we are to eliminate the barriers between humans, elves, and half-elves, we cannot stay hidden within the forests. Discrimination will continue unless we educate others of our history and customs, therefore eliminating their fear of the unknown with what we hope will be an acceptance of our culture. Only then will the hatred diminish and the Great Viscus Tree flourish, as you so strongly put it."

Colette laughed nervously but nodded with joy at the decision. "I will happily take it upon myself to forward your message."

Kratos turned to Dirk and Altessa suspiciously. "Will you two be joining us at Meltokio?"

Dirk shook his head and replied, "No, Altessa and myself would like to see how the change affected tha other dwarves down below. We're going to return to the capital and check up on tha others." Altessa nodded in agreement.

"I can't say I want to go either. Being from Mizuho, I'm not exactly "welcomed" in the capital anyway." Even though eliminating hatred and discrimination was the goal of everyone in the group, Sheena needed to discuss it with the council and see what they thought.

Throwing an arm over her shoulders Zelos asked, "Aw, come on, baby. For me? I'll talk to the king personally and I'm sure you'll be able to come."

Blushing profusely as he smiled at her, Sheena turned her gaze nervously towards the ground. "Ah well…when you put it that way." _Since when did Zelos become so convincing? _She wondered.

"Alright! Let's get going then!" Zelos let go of her and hopped onto a rheaird, smirking victoriously at Sheena. "Sorry, babe, I got the controls this time."

She rolled her eyes but smiled and got on behind him. Slowly she wrapped her arms around him and together they took off.

The others said their goodbyes and sped off after them. Hopefully when they reached Meltokio, they would be welcomed with open arms and not closed gates.

_Meltokio_

As soon as they had reached the castle within the high stonewalls of Meltokio, the king and his daughter came out to happily greet the saviors of the known world. His Majesty Tethe'alla the 18th, now fully recovered from the Pope's slow acting poison, gave his apologies in person to everyone in the group and announced that measures had already been put into effect for a festival to be held that night in their name. Everyone, including Sheena, was warmly welcomed and even requested to be present.

"Festival" was an understatement because by dusk, the entire town was decorated with multiple colors from banners, balloons, flags and the joyous music could be heard all the way in Sybak. Never before had any of the group, minus Zelos, seen so many stands and activities. Having grown up in small villages the most activity they'd seen was back in Palmacosta. This was unbelievable!

Colette insisted in trying all the different foods offered and dragged Lloyd from stand to stand, completely engrossed in the spirit and celebrations. "Oh look! They're stuffed animal doggies!" She pointed at the shelf that held the prizes.

Lloyd took another bite of his candy apple and smiled. "I'll win it for ya!" Quickly stuffing his mouth with the rest of the treat, he approached the game table.

Upon seeing his next players, the game attendant visibly paled. "Y-you're from the Chosen group!" He pointed almost accusingly at Colette. "I-I couldn't possibly charge you! Here, try as many times as you like!" He handed Lloyd the rings and stepped off to the side.

Shrugging, Lloyd decided the man's reaction wasn't due to the fact that they were the Chosen group alone, but probably because of the tall tales started by the pope's personal guard. It'd be a long time before they lived _that_ one down.

Licking his lips, Lloyd took aim at the small spikes behind the counter and threw the round rings one after the other. Growling when they hit the poles and flew off to the side, he continued to try and win that toy for Colette. This was his big chance to impress her with more than his meager cooking skills or even worse…his lack of math skills.

After half an hour, Colette began feeling sorry for her friend and quietly took the rings away from him. Taking almost no time to aim, Colette threw the three rings and managed to land them on the same spike.

"We have a winner!" The man exclaimed, finally over his initial fear of the girl and handed her the toy she'd pointed out earlier. "That was some impressive show of skill."

Colette blushed at the compliment and cuddled her new toy. "It was nothing."

Groaning pathetically off to the side, Lloyd hung his head sadly. "I should've known you'd do better at a _ring toss_ game than I would. Ah man, when am I gonna learn?"

Feeling sorry for him, Colette wrapped her arms around one of his and smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry Lloyd. It was the thought that counts." Then she reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek.

The feathery touch of her lips on his skin was enough to turn the warrior's head into a shade of red similar to the apple he'd just eaten and he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Um…thanks."

Looking over, Colette gasped and pointed. "There's Professor Sage and Genis!" Pulling Lloyd over, Colette approached her friends. "I see you guys didn't waste anytime eating the food they have here! I've eaten a little bit of everything and it's all so delicious!"

Genis, a roasted corn on the cob in his hand, nodded and smiled in agreement. "It's amazing the king threw all this together in less than a day!"

Raine stood at her brother's side and looked around. "Everyone's so excited about the new appearance of the mana tree that no one's even noticed we're…"

"And they won't." Lloyd cut her off with a smile. "We're gonna make them all see how cool you guys are and you'll never have to worry about it again. So just have fun tonight. You've earned it." He understood his teacher's uneasiness, knowing that those who'd grown up in Tethe'alla would retain a stronger hatred for half-elves than those in Sylvarant, but without the pope around to make laws discriminating against half-elves, others like Raine and Genis should have a easier time building their new lives.

Sighing, Raine smiled and dropped her shoulders, forcing herself to relax. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Waving goodbye, she and Genis went off in the direction of another food stand, leaving Lloyd and Colette once again alone.

Colette tugged on his sleeve and, taking his hand, led him to the outskirts of the enclosed city where it was a little bit more private and quiet. The grassy area just outside the gate served her purposes well enough and together they sat and watched the fireflies gather near the creek's entrance.

Lloyd didn't know what Colette had on her mind. He was just happy being with her. To be honest, he'd gotten over the celebrations, getting bored with a lot of things rather quickly, and was thankful for the break.

"Lloyd, do you still plan to go on another journey to rid the world of exspheres?" Colette asked rather suddenly. She sat with her knees up against her chest and her arms wrapped around them.

Lloyd shrugged and replied. "Of course. Knowing that the souls of the victims are still trapped inside, I can't just sit back and let people continue to use them carelessly. Their spirits deserve to be free." He said sadly.

"What about Kratos? Do you think he'll want to come along?" The angel-girl asked. "He doesn't have Mithos to give him orders anymore, and with Origin now connected with you, he doesn't have to worry about someone breaking the seal."

Lloyd paused for a moment, not really knowing how to answer. In truth, he always got a little nervous when Dirk and his biological father were in the same room together. So Kratos living with him would be uncomfortable for a while at least. "I…don't know." He said quietly. "I still think of Dirk as my father, but Kratos is my father too. I haven't really talked to either of them to see how they felt about it."

"Well I'm sure it'll all work out for the best." Colette smiled and turned to Lloyd. "Don't worry about it. Remember, you just have two fathers now. You should consider yourself lucky for having more than most people do."

Lloyd knuckled her side, making her giggle as he said accusingly. "Hey, I told you that. You can't steal it from me." But quite honestly, it made him feel better about the whole thing. Funny how hearing it from someone else always changed the perspective.

Regal and Presea had also found a quiet spot away from all the commotion. The two had actually decided to relax in the lower city slums to the side of the castle. Even the misfortunate had been invited to join in the festivities so the streets were pretty much empty.

It had been Presea's suggestion to come here and Regal followed without question. Climbing to one of the roofs of the houses, both received a pretty unique view of the festival above. They could still hear the music, but it was not as loud.

Finally, after some time of sitting in silence, Regal turned to the girl next to him. "Was there something you wanted to speak to me about?"

Presea looked Regal right in the eye and asked him. "What was it you said you would do after we avenged Alicia?"

Regal's back straightened and he replied in a deep voice. "I swore I would aide the Chosen group in defeating cruxis." The answer was simple, but where was she going with this?

"And we succeeded in that, did we not?" She asked again with a straight face.

Nodding, Regal frowned in growing concern over the path of the questions. "Yes, the worlds have been reunited and Mithos is no longer a threat to the people."

Nodding, Presea looked down at his bound hands and wrapped her hands around his wrists. "Then why do you still wear these?"

Shocked at the question, Regal opened his mouth to respond, but it clamped shut and he looked away sadly. "Well…" Before he knew what was happening, Presea gave one good yank and pulled his wrists apart shattering the cuffs, spewing shards of metal in all directions. None of it cut them and Regal was left speechless.

"You no longer have any reason to believe you're a criminal or a threat to those around you." She said releasing his hands.

Lifting them up, Regal stared at the pale skin that had been hidden from the sun for so long, yet still could say nothing.

Looking back towards the festival, Presea locked her eyes on a particularly beautiful red flag, remembering the color of the exsphere Alicia's spirit had been trapped within – patiently awaiting the return of her master and lover. "It is time for you to begin to believe in yourself the way everyone else believes in you…the way I believe in you." Before he could respond, Presea looked up and stared into his pale hazel eyes. "I know Alicia would not want you to punish yourself anymore for her death. She would want you to live."

Regal sat still for a moment, before smiling and nodding. _The wisdom this child possesses is incredible. _"Yes, I suppose you're right." He wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her close, joining her in watching the festival. "Shall we head back?"

Presea closed her eyes and snuggled closer like a child would their father. "Perhaps we could stay here…for a little while longer…"

Regal's eyes softened and he nodded, staying just the way they were. He would always love Alicia, but he knew she would be saddened if he refused to enjoy the new life he had been granted in a world he helped to create. _May you rest in peace…Alicia…_

Zelos sat just outside his mansion dressed in an uncharacteristic dark blue and black outfit. Sheena stood with him in her regular clothes and for the most part neither said anything. The streets were just as emptied as the rest of town, so the two were pretty much alone. Sheena's heart was racing and she couldn't being herself to say anything to the man besides her. Over the last few months, she'd seen a side of him most people never saw. She felt guilty for naming him a pervert after she found out about his home life and upbringing.

Sure being raised in secret with others of her village who were generally not accepted within society and working mostly behind the scenes could be hard growing up. On the flip side of the coin, Zelos had been raised in the spotlight, others looking to him as their savior, even though that meant him becoming a sacrifice. Sheena understood how Zelos would create one personality for others, while keeping the real him, with real dreams and ambitions, a secret.

While they had been trapped inside Derris-Kharlan, Sheena had seen Zelos' fear, his reaction to his little sister reprimanding him and demanding he give up his title to someone "more suited". Sheena felt bad for thinking the worse from a man who hadn't been given the chance to really prove himself.

Now that she was beginning to get to know that Zelos, she felt herself more flustered all the time; unable to look him in the eye or stay close for more than necessary. She almost felt she'd faint on the trip from Heimdall to Meltokio because of her arms wrapped around his waist. He didn't show it on the outside, but he had fine chiseled abs and Sheena almost wondered what he looked like without the shirt…or pants for that matter.

Zelos, mighty woman pleaser extraordinaire, was panicking for the first time that he could remember. For most woman Zelos always used rehearsed lines to sweep them off their feet and it had given him quite the reputation over the years. But for the woman standing before him now, he strangely didn't want to use any of those tactics.

Sheena was strong-willed, even if she didn't see it, and could hold her own in any situation. Other woman Zelos had known couldn't lift a box of hay if their life depended on it for fear of chipping a nail. Sheena was a fierce fighter, and could probably give the self-righteous Chosen a run for his money if not sorely kick his butt in the process.

That was what intrigued Zelos and made him want to treat her differently. But by the Goddess Martel above he couldn't come up with anything to say! Here she was, attending a shallow party because of him, and he couldn't even thank her. Even as plain as she was in her battle robe, she still appeared amazingly exotic, and with the way the moonlight fell upon her raven black hair, she seemed to glow with an inner light.

Clearing his throat, Zelos looked down nervously. "Um…Sheena?" She turned to look at him. "Thanks…you know for coming to the festival and all." His breath catching in his throat, Zelos looked up and immediately regretted it when the two locked eyes.

Sheena was the first to break the intense gaze and instead turned to look at a nearby plant. "Well, you know, since I did kinda helped in the whole saving-the-world thing, I guess I should be here to enjoy it too." Then she froze and her head shot up, surprising Zelos, but he managed to hide his shock. "Not that I don't owe ya for getting me in here. Thanks for talking to the king."

Smiling, Zelos put his arms behind his head and tried his best to hide his nervousness. "No problemo. The king's really taken a 180 on the whole discrimination idea. He already took off most of the bounties and warrants that were issued on the Mizuho ninjas. You guys are in the clear."

Sheena gasped. "You serious?" Then she slugged his side just hard enough to make him wince. "And when were you gonna tell me this? Sometime after I left!?"

Zelos forced a smile through the pain. "It'd be an excuse to go see ya, wouldn't it?"

The comment got Sheena blushing and she quickly turned away. "Yeah well, it's a huge weight off my shoulders…that and of the whole clan so…"

"What is _she_ doing with Master Zelos?" An increasingly annoying voice asked from the side.

Turning, Sheena saw three girls covered in so much lace and frills the summoner almost got dizzy. "W-who are you?"

The middle girl, who wore a palm tree colored dress, scoffed and brought a fan up to cover part of her face. The fan was the same color as the dress and covered in just as much lace. "_I_ should be asking _you_ that question. Aren't you that dirty mercenary from the forest? You shouldn't even be allowed to stand within the same city as Master Zelos!" Her friends laughed and regarded Sheena as if she were some disgusting farm animal.

Zelos rolled his eyes. "Come on now don't…"

"Where the _hell_ do you get off calling _me_ a dirty mercenary?" Sheena asked angrily, stepping forward. "_I_ am a ninja from the Mizuho village and as far as I can tell, I've got more skill and brain in one little finger than you have make-up on right now. _Which_ by the way, doesn't hide the nastiness that is your face, so if _I_ were you I would go back home to daddy and tell him to put me out of my misery. If you hadn't noticed, _I_ was talking to Zelos, okay? Not you, me. So butt out!"

The girl couldn't believe Sheena's words and scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Come on girls. Master Zelos has obviously lost his taste in women." And with that, the three girls returned to the main hobnob of festivities.

Sheena crossed her arms and sat down on the stones steps. "Man those noble girls really piss me off!"

Behind her, Zelos had his mouth wide open in shock. Usually he had a hell of a time getting rid of air headed girls like that. And yet Sheena had completely insulted their very way of life in two little sentences. "That was…" He paused, trying to think of the right word. "Unexpected."

Turning to glare at him, Sheena demanded, "What? You think I'd let them talk crap about me and get away with it? Not on your life."

Zelos laughed shortly and sat down next to the summoner. Though his feelings for her only grew at that moment, something about the interruption made him rethink his plans. He had all the time in the world, now that he wasn't the Chosen, to tell her how he felt. He'd leave it for another…more appropriate night.

It was a good thing that he did because another interruption came in the form of the royal guard. "Master Zelos?"

Standing up, Zelos took point in front of Sheena. With all the run-ins they had with the Papal Knights, armored soldiers usually meant trouble. "Yes?" He replied carefully.

"The king would like to make an announcement and asked that those from the Chosen group be present. Most of them have already gathered in front of the castle." The guard reported.

Blinking, Zelos eased up a little and nodded. "Of course. We'll be right there."

The soldier bowed curtly and returned to his post.

Sheena swallowed hard and took an uneasy step back. "You…don't think he'll make some big announcement…do you?"

Frowning, Zelos turned around. "Probably. Why?"

Sheena laughed nervously and continued to step backwards. "Well you know, living in hiding, you get used to people not recognizing you, hence the whole disappearing into a crowd thing…"

Smirking, Zelos took a few steps forward, making Sheena more nervous. "Don't tell me you get stage fright." Being in front of people was the way Zelos had been raised and was a daily part of his life, so naturally he'd grown used to it.

"No…of course not." The ninja said unconvincingly. "It's just that, I really didn't do much at all and the rest of you can take my share of the credit…"

Zelos rubbed his chin in thought. "But just a moment ago you said that you _did_ help and should be allowed to enjoy the festival with everyone else."

"I didn't say that." Sheena stuttered, eyes flashing back and forth for a quick exit.

Zelos took one last step forward and scooped up Sheena, throwing her over his shoulder. "Oh, but I insist you come anyways! It wouldn't be fair for you to miss out!" He began making his way back across the overpass towards the castle.

Sheena struggled and tried to break free of his grasp. "Zelos, what do you think you're doing! Put me down!" She fussed. "I can walk there on my own thank you very much!"

"Yeah, but you might run out of me too. And no one runs from Zelos and gets away with it." He laughed, completely enjoying her torture and kept a firm grip on her waist.

"Zelos! Let go!" She continued to struggle. "I mean it!" He suddenly threw her forward and dropped her back down on the ground. Straightening her outfit, she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Thank you."

"Dang Sheena, I never thought he'd have to resort to dragging you here."

Gasping, Sheena turned around and saw Lloyd, along with everyone from the group, the royal family, and behind them was the majority of the citizens of Meltokio. "Oh crap…" The ninja visibly paled.

The group laughed and Sheena ducked behind Zelos, avoiding the curious onlookers as much as possible.

Thankfully, the king cleared his throat and got everyone's attention back on him. "Citizens of Meltokio, I am pleased to present to you a group of warriors who overcame great adversity both within their numbers and against them. They fought against a force that rivaled the Goddess Martel herself in order to save not only the former world of Tethe'alla, but that of its sister world: Sylvarant."

The crowd had a mixed reaction of cheers and hushed voices from those who knew of the other world and those who didn't.

"Their success was due to the fact that they overlooked their differences, whether it be the half-elves or the mysterious Mizuho ninja…" When the king said this, Zelos elbowed Sheena and winked, getting her to swallow nervously. "They managed to work together in order to revive the Great Kharlan Tree, now deemed the Great Viscus Tree, in order to save everyone of all races." The king allowed the crowd to cheer before continuing. "I tell you now we must make the same effort in dissolving the hatred that has grown between us and follow in their footsteps. Only then will the mana tree continue to flourish!"

"Chosen! Chosen! Chosen!" The crowd began to cheer, wishing to hear from both Zelos and Colette.

Smiling, the two chosen exchanged looks and Zelos waved a hand, allowing Colette to take the floor first. The angel girl waited for the people to quiet down before speaking. "During our struggle against the opposition that faced us," Colette restrained from calling it Mithos because the people still clung to the myth of Mithos the hero. That lesson would be for another day. "Many people died for our cause and I don't want their efforts to go unnoticed. For Marble, Dorr, Clara and Kilia, I pray they are able to witness this joyous moment and see this new world full of love and friendship."

Zelos took that moment to step forward. "The Goddess Martel is reawakened and will continue to protect us if we learn to look out for one another. The light we possess within us can make even the tiniest bit of difference and combining that light, will spread our feelings to every corner of the new world. And in doing so, we are capable of anything. No more will there be an age of prosperity and one of desecration. Together, we will make a Golden Age to remember!"

The crowd cheered and clapped, caught up in the new path that had been set before them. The strength and effort a few individuals had shown them would soon reflect in what others did, they would be their role models and teachers. Nothing was impossible with the power of love.

The king held up a goblet and smiled for all to see. "To Martel and the Great Viscus Tree!"

"To Martel!" The crowd echoed and celebrated.

Lloyd smiled, but soon noticed someone was missing. "Hey, I wonder where Dad went…" Walking off to the side, he left the rest of the group to enjoy the spotlight, even though Sheena stayed hidden behind Zelos for most of the time.

Colette saw him leave out of the corner of her eye, but let him go. She knew he needed some alone time and instead turned to chat with the princess. _Good luck Lloyd…_

Lloyd wondered off away from the town square, expecting that if Kratos wanted to be alone, he definitely wouldn't be there. Lloyd closed his eyes and tried to pick up Kratos' mana signature, like the way Genis could sense mana. He frowned as he tried to focus on which direction the angel had run off too. He knew he wouldn't be able to master the skill the first time, but he wanted to try anyway.

Finally he picked up a flicker to his left and started walking in that direction. Craning his neck he saw just the tip of his father's hair swaying lightly on the evening breeze, high atop the coliseum. Bending his legs, Lloyd jumped from rooftop to rooftop until he landed by his father's side. He made sure not to approach him from behind, because last time he did…he almost lost his life.

Kratos, having sensed Lloyd long before, didn't jump at his abrupt arrival. The angel sat with his legs bent in front of him, enjoying the view of the ocean that could be seen just near the horizon. The full moon shined enough light that it made the dark ocean sparkle with a light blue glow. Without turning to his son, Kratos said, "You do know you can fly now, correct? It would have been easier than jumping."

Taking a seat next to the warrior, Lloyd shrugged, "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to misuse them all the time." The answer sounded odd coming from the youth, but he blew it off as maturity finally kicking in. "Altessa did say to be careful and all."

Kratos, when he heard this, raised an eyebrow and looked at Lloyd critically. "What's this? Listening to your elders? You really have changed since I first saw you." Kratos remembered the first time he'd heard Lloyd's name and looked upon the son he thought he'd lost for the very first time. He'd hidden his shock well, but later when he had returned to Derris-Kharlan for his first report back to Mithos, his legs gave out and his hands wouldn't stop shaking.

His son was alive and well. It was more than Kratos could have ever dreamed. But on the negative side, he was now a part of the angel's mission and since he could not reveal his identity without putting the boy in danger, he had to keep it a secret. But through it all, breaking each of the seals and fighting the desians, Kratos made sure his son was safe. Administering first aide and whatever healing arts he could when the boy was injured due to battling monsters.

He was hard on the boy, true, always telling him he was sloppy and had room for improvement, but it was only to make him stronger so that in the long run, he would not fall by another's hand. He owed it to his son to at least teach him how to defend himself…even if it would, in the end, be against him. Kratos struggled with his conscious for a long time, whether to carry out Mithos' mission or not.

It was the same as it was every cycle. Remiel would implant the cruxis crystal and slowly turn the Chosen into an angel, and Kratos would help lead the group and make sure they completed their journey. The cycles between worlds were far enough apart that those who knew Kratos would pass away before it came time for the next Chosen, thus leaving his identity a secret. Yet every time the Chosen did not meet with Martel's specific mana signature, and Mithos' attempt to revive her failed, Kratos had to watch mere children perish before his eyes.

"I've got you to thank for a lot of it." Lloyd replied to Kratos' scrutinizing remark with a smile. "If you hadn't spared with me all those times, I don't think I would've been able to defeat any of the desians, let alone Mithos himself." Sighing, he turned to looking at the ocean along with his father. "I'm sorry it had to come to that…Mithos and all. Genis tried to talk to him but…"

"No, it's alright." Kratos cut him off. "In the beginning, the four of us would've died to protect any one of the others. When Martel passed away, Mithos changed and although Yuan and myself remained by his side, it was obvious his motives had changed as well." The angel paused, thinking he was revealing too much, and changed the subject. "Anyways, what happened was for the best."

"Sometimes I wonder…" Lloyd said sadly. "I swore after Iselia no more people would have to die. But there were so many other victims, Mithos included…I feel like I somehow failed."

"Death comes for everyone and it's not always clear why." Kratos explained. "You cannot prevent all death, but through your actions and those of your companions, you have saved infinitely more than you know." Kratos suddenly stood and looked down at Lloyd seriously. "With the Tower of Salvation gone, I'm going to need you to use the Eternal Sword to send me to Derris Kharlan."

Mouth dropping open, Lloyd jumped to his feet. "What? Why?" He hadn't even gotten to asking his father about joining his journey yet.

"There are things that I must take care of there. You needn't worry about draining your mana while using the sword anymore, now that you are a half-angel. And when I am finished, I will send you word and you can bring me back." Kratos placed a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "This will not be forever, but it is something I must do."

Lloyd's head drooped for a moment before he raised it again and forced a smile. "I know and I can come visit you anytime as long as I have the sword, right?"

Kratos nodded. "Of course, but won't you be busy with your own mission?"

Lloyd shrugged. "It'll take a while to hunt down all the exspheres, especially since Tethe'alla used them so abundantly." Craning up, Lloyd looked his father in the eye and asked nervously. "W-when you're done, you know on Derris-Kharlan, do you think…?"

"I would be honored." Kratos smiled and turned back towards the festival. "I believe you're missing out on all the festivities."

"Nah, I've had my share. Besides, I'd rather be here with you." Lloyd admitted before sitting back down.

Kratos was shocked and regarded his son carefully. Though the angel would once again be forced to withhold the truth from his son, something told him everything would work out just fine. Lloyd depended on Kratos and accepted him despite everything, something the former Angel of Cruxis was infinitely grateful for. After fifteen years, Kratos doubted the boy would want anything to do with him, but Lloyd had shown him differently, and he would not waste his second chance.

If Kratos did his part right, and Lloyd did his, the threat that Kratos feared would be easily dealt with and he could spend the rest of his life making it up to his son. He would be the true father he always wanted to be… not only for himself, but for Anna as well.

Author's Notes: I went back and did a little editing to chapter one and Kratos' flashback. With what they give you in the game, it's hard to piece together everything. So, they way I figure it: Kratos finds out about Mithos' Age of Lifeless Beings and comes down to Earth. He meets Anna and they evade Cruxis for three plus years. Later Anna is captured and Lloyd is kept hidden with Kratos while the angel figures out a way to free her. He visits her as Kratos: the Angel of Cruxis and plans to escape with her when Kvar finds Lloyd and removes Anna's exsphere prematurely. Later scenes will reveal more of the in between, but that's pretty much the timeline as I understand it.


	4. Separation Anxiety

Separation Anxiety

_"Dwarven Vow #4: Don't depend on others. Stand on your own two feet."_

Meltokio Castle 

Lloyd sighed in relaxation as he rolled over on the comfortable sheets and cushions one could only find in the royal guest rooms of Meltokio castle. Constantly moving during thier journey and sleeping wherever they could, Lloyd had forgotten the hidden bliss of sleeping on an actual bed. The night before had been one for the history books and people celebrated well into dawn. Only now, as the sun peeked high in the horizon, did the commotion barely begin to cease and citizens return to their homes.

The bright sunlight filtered through the thin material curtains in his room and a comfortable breeze swept in to awaken the warrior from his slumber. A maid had probably come in while he slept to open the windows for him. Over the course of his quest, Lloyd had become a light sleeper and the fact that someone could come in while he was out made him nervous. True, he could sleep like a log way back when, but he soon learned the error of his ways and practically kept one eye open at night for monsters…or would-be assassins.

Stretching out his arms and legs, Lloyd slowly sat up and got out of bed, preparing to get dressed. The room was far more lavish than he was used to, crimson red and white adorning the walls to match the double-layered curtains and bed sheets, and it almost made him homesick for his own bed back in Iselia Forest. While he clicked his suspenders into place and buckled up his weapons, a knock drew his attention to the door. "Come in."

Upon hearing his voice, the door opened and in walked Raine and Genis. "Hey Lloyd, sleeping in as usual?" His best friend teased.

Lloyd frowned. "Shut it, Genis. Don't tell me you didn't stay up all night stuffing your face with all that food." The swordsman teased back with a cross of his arms. "I think you even put on a couple of pounds since last night."

Genis raised a fist. "I have not!"

Raine sighed and shook her head. "We didn't come here to argue, did we Genis?" She asked sternly.

"Yeah, what's up Professor?" Lloyd asked.

"We're going to return to Heimdall to help the villagers…understand us better." The teacher replied.

Genis nodded. "Then we might head to other villages and help educate the humans not only about half elves, but also on full-blooded elven ways."

Lloyd was taken aback. "You…aren't going to return to Iselia with Colette and me?" He'd assumed that other than gathering the last exspheres, everything would go back to normal: Professor Sage teaching, Genis doing Lloyd's homework from time to time, and Colette running through walls.

"The humans of Tethe'alla, as well as some from Sylvarant, have been fed misconceptions about us and someone has to step forward with the truth." Raine explained. "The elder of Heimdall asked for our assistance…and we accepted."

Casting his eyes down slowly Lloyd said, "Oh, I understand." He didn't want to be selfish by saying that they shouldn't go. The half-elves from both worlds all faced tremendous opposition regarding their race and changes needed to be made. But that didn't stop him from feeling like he was loosing his best friends.

Genis and Lloyd had been friends since him and Raine came to Iselia five years ago. Both had a knack for getting into trouble…and upsetting a certain older sister. There was one time when Lloyd had convinced Genis to change Raine's test key for a particularly hard test. After spending all night grading "F" papers, Raine noticed only the two boys had passed and immediately got suspicious. Of course even after discovering it was them, she was forced to grade all the papers over again. The next day it was the professor, not Lloyd, who'd fallen asleep in class, much to Lloyd and Genis' amusement.

Professor Sage had been harsh, punishing Lloyd every time he dozed off in class, but some of the lessons she'd taught him ended up saving his life in their fight against the desians and Mithos. Lloyd still remembered holding those two buckets full of water in the back of class whenever he forgot to do his homework. Over time the built muscles probably aided in his growing fighting skills and maybe even his craftsmanship. In fact, for the entire week following Genis and Lloyd's little switch-a-rue, Lloyd had company in the back of class, holding those buckets of water…but somehow he still managed to fall asleep standing up.

Genis came and held up a thumb. "We'll always be best friends, Lloyd, and knowing you, you'll get into some sort of trouble that I'll have to save you from anyway." He smiled as he looked up at his friend. "We've been through too much to have this be goodbye."

Raine nodded in agreement. "Yes, this won't be forever. Once the others from Heimdall get started, Genis and I will return to Iselia."

Lloyd brightened up a bit and looked up hopefully. "Yeah?"

Genis jumped up. "You bet!"

"All right. It's a promise then." He smiled in acceptance.

"Oh, that's right." Raine said suddenly. "Sheena wanted us to tell you that she headed back to Mizuho early this morning."

"Yeah, something about telling her superiors about the king's pardon on her people." Genis followed up. "Not to worry though, she said she'd come and find you for a visit when she got the chance."

"Oh." Was all Lloyd could say. To be honest, he didn't doubt the ninja's words. The Mizuho Intelligence Network was extensive enough that she probably could find him anywhere he went without even trying. "I guess her mission's a lot like yours huh?" He held out his hand and Genis met it with his own. "Take care you two."

"We will." Raine assured. "Good luck."

Lloyd smiled. "I think I'm gonna need it." He assured as he tried hiding his inner fear from the two half-elves. _I guess I should've expected this since everyone joined the group for their own reasons that they would leave for those same reasons once everything was over. I just seem to be loosing everyone at once. _He thought sadly.

Up until now he hadn't noticed how close he'd gotten to everyone; defending each other in battle, giving support through hard times, willing to sacrifice themselves to save a friend. Their trials had really pulled them close and Lloyd knew he'd feel the pain of their absence over the next few months.

But their memories, the good and the bad, would forever live on within the warrior's heart, and he knew if the time came when he needed them again, they would be there by his side. It was that comforting thought that led Lloyd out of the room and down the hall, long after Genis and Raine had departed; to face a fledgling world full of diversity yet with a strange sense of family, one of discrimination yet with a growing understanding for one another, and one of fear yet with an underlying never ending hope. This was the beginning of his dream come to life.

Zelos Wilder, former Chosen of Tethe'alla, entered the audience hall of his king. He immediately recognized the presence of the princess standing dutifully by her father's side. The king smiled upon seeing the warrior enter and stood to greet him. "You look well, Zelos."

Zelos bowed at the hip and rose to meet the old man's gaze. There had been a time when the king would have nothing to do with the Chosen or his friends. After nearly loosing his life to a man he once trusted, it was natural he would also lose faith in others near him. But having grown up in constant contact with the royal family, the rejection had meant far more to Zelos than the king would ever know.

But with the worlds in need of a centralized government system and order of some kind, Zelos knew he would be needed as well. So he set the hurt he still felt, despite the king's heartfelt apology, aside and focused instead on making what little difference he could. Now without his title, Zelos could choose his own path and decide for himself what he wanted to do. This was enough to satisfy him…for now.

"Master Zelos, are you feeling well?" Princess Hilda asked when Zelos did not reply.

Blinking out of his thoughts, Zelos forced a smile. "I'm not the Chosen of Tethe'alla anymore, Princess. You don't have to call me 'Master' anymore." He said instead.

"But you will always be a sign of hope to the people of Meltokio, Zelos. Even you must know this." The king took a seat on his throne once more.

"Of course, your highness." Zelos agreed. He knew all too well how fragile the order of the new world was and should Zelos and the others fail in keeping the peace between the reunited worlds, a feud that would rival the Ancient War could break out. If that happened, the new Great Viscus Tree would whither and die, as well as the land surviving off its never-ending mana supply. "See, look what happened!" He began in a new lighter tone. He didn't like to be gloomy for too long. "It's all because the Pope had to open his big mouth and tried to banish me and stuff. The whole world got messed up!"

The king smiled. "Well then, Chosen One, what would you have me do?"

Zelos stood quite for a moment, thinking. "We'll send an emissary of peace to Iselia." In truth, they were going to have to get in contact with all the villages that were originally in Sylvarant, but Iselia was a good place to start, since it was so close to begin with.

"Emissary?" The king echoed. "Who do you plan to send?"

"How about Sheena from Mizuho? She's already involved." In truth Zelos really just wanted to have a reason to keep the ninja around the castle and close to him.

The king laughed shortly. "So the emissary of death becomes the emissary of peace."

Zelos felt anger at that comment, but let it slide. It was because of the Pope's meddling that the King of Tethe'alla felt the journey of regeneration in Sylvarant meant Tethe'alla's destruction. It was then that Sheena was sent to kill Colette in the first place. "I won't let you say no. Until you do something about the Church of Martel, I still have the rights of the Chosen remember?" He advised the king. Once the Pope was found, the Church of Martel as a whole was going to have to go through a lot of changes, considering the fact that most of the ideals and legends they clung to were falsified and created by Mithos himself in order to cover up his true goal.

"Father would never take that away from you, Master Zelos." The princess said with a smile.

"I actually have another reason why I called you here, Zelos." The king continued. "The previous Sylvarant, I have been informed, did not have a major government system. Mayors and Governors controlled the individual villages and towns, but nothing near the scale Tethe'alla had developed. With their world in decline and poverty, their advancement in technology suffered as well."

Zelos nodded. "That was my impression as well. What should we do about this?" The warrior knew forcing others into a monarchy would only result in senseless conflict.

"I believe a faction should be created with all the leaders of the individual towns, a council if you will, and any decisions made would be the result of everyone's decision. I propose Meltokio, and this castle in particular, be converted into a meeting place for this counsel. Seeing how Meltokio is still located in the center of continent, it will be easy for many of the villages to attend." The king explained.

Zelos thought about it for a moment, but saw nothing wrong with the plan. If everyone got a hand in the decision-making, then they would all be represented and no wars would break out. "That sounds like a great idea. Now all we have to do is send envoys to all the villages and get them to agree to join this…World Council."

"I like that name: World Counsel. That's what we'll call it." The king smiled. Even though it meant loosing a substantial amount of power, the former monarchy ruler would still be the representative for Meltokio. Therefore he could still look out for the well being of his citizens. "As for the envoys, that's where you come in. I would like you to appoint individuals to travel to each village and offer them our idea and hospitality, since its apparent you intend to remain involved as a representative of the Church of Martel."

Zelos agreed and all three went to work on finalizing the system.

"Does the ninja of Mizuho mean something…special to you, Master Zelos?" Princess Hilda wondered. They had gone through all the villages in no time, Zelos' previous journey into the world of Sylvarant proving useful when it came to adding all the villages to the list.

"Sheena?" Zelos spoke up before he caught himself. In truth, Sheena had been on his mind all morning, the night before being slightly disappointing when Zelos failed to confess his feelings to the summoner. Thinking fast he added, "She's saved my neck quite a few times during our journey, so yeah she's a close companion." Well part of it was true but he held back from saying anything more because he knew Princess Hilda's feelings for him.

Thinking about Sheena made him realize that she would want to visit their friends the first chance she got, something Zelos himself would eventually want to do when things simmered down. _Maybe this could work out…_ He thought, his mind already plotting the details.

"Very well, I'll write a letter and have you deliver it to her." The king began writing on a piece of paper with his family crest on it. "Unfortunately, even after the reuniting of the worlds, no one knows where Mizuho is…so you're the only one who can take it to her if she isn't still in the castle. I've been informed many of your friends have already departed." The king told Zelos.

"Uh, right." The former Chosen was still hung up with the fact that he would get to see Sheena again. Would the moment be right to openly admit that he thought of her differently than other girls and wanted to get to know her better? Would she just laugh at him or take him seriously at all? With all this running through is mind, Zelos wasn't even thinking about the new government anymore.

Underground, Near Dwarven Village of Dritan 

"Hold it right there." A voice said from the darkness ahead.

Dirk and Altessa stopped their approach and squinted their eyes to try and see ahead of them. The tunnel's secret entrance leading to the Dwarven society had remained in the same place as before but the passageways below were far different than either dwarf remembered. Long ago their people had lived both on the surface and underground. Then when the Ancient War, also known as the Great Kharlan War, broke out amongst the humans and half-elves, many decided to step out of the human's squabble and live completely below.

The two dwarves waited until three dwarven guards, two armed with staffs while the third held a torch, approached them with caution. The passages leading to the inner cities of the dwarves were always guarded which meant they were close. "Have no fear. It's only two fellow dwarves hoping to stop by for a visit." Dirk announced.

One of the armed guards regarded both carefully, his staff in front of him, before raising an eyebrow. "What brings ya to Dritan?"

Altessa stepped forward. "We were worried about what had happened to everyone down here after the earthquakes and such."

"Ya bring word from tha surface?" The second guard asked.

"Aye, we do. Will ya let us through?" Dirk asked without revealing anything.

The lead guard stood for a moment thinking before lowering his weapon and replacing it to his side. "Sorry for all of this. We've been a little on edge lately with tha plants crying out. Do ya have any idea what's goin' on up there?"

Nodding, Altessa accepted the man's apology. "Ya might want tha Chief to hear this as well. It's kinda important."

"Of course, I'll show ya tha way." The lead guard left his second in command at the post and led the two inside. Dwarves, being close to Mother Nature, could feel her pain and were more sensitive to changes than humans or even elves were. It was for this reason that unrest had settled down amongst many Dwarven cities and its citizens were left uneasy.

Now Dirk and Altessa would bring them the news they so desperately needed.

Meltokio Castle 

Lloyd walked down the hallways looking for the rest of his companions. He was ready to accept the idea that they had all gone off somewhere as well, but wanted to find out for sure.

As he turned around the corner, he thought he saw Zelos dash across the hall and frowned as he approached the intersection. The red headed warrior skidded back towards Lloyd suddenly and stopped to catch his breath. His brow glistened with sweat and Lloyd began to wonder if something was wrong. "Zelos?"

The ladies man quickly regained his composure and stood up straight. "Hey Lloyd, my man, have you seen Sheena around?"

Lloyd hid his smile as everything fell into place. The duel-wielding swordsman knew of the hidden attraction between Zelos and the firecracker summoner, but felt that interfering would only result in him getting hit by both parties, so he knowingly stayed quiet. "I uh, heard she already headed back home."

Zelos' shoulders dropped in disappointment. "Oh alright." He turned and began heading out.

"Oh, hey Zelos!" Lloyd called out before he left. "Have you seen Colette around?" After leaving in the middle of the festival, Lloyd was worried his friend would be upset and wanted to check up on her. Out of everyone, he knew he didn't have to worry about her leaving because they'd already promise each other they'd go on a journey to retrieve the last of the exspheres together.

The warrior shook his head sympathetically. "No I haven't, sorry." Then he saluted his fellow combat-in-arms. "I gotta split but we'll probably cross paths, huh?"

Lloyd smiled and waved goodbye. "Of course." Then he added. "And good luck." He winked and Zelos blushed, knowing to what he referred and dashed out of the castle. Lloyd shook his head laughing, then slowly walked out himself. As high as the castle was he could see all the way to the sea's edge.

As he walked down the plaza, he took a small side staircase to the bottom floor to stop by the Belteon and pick up some supplies and food to last the trip, before going over to the entrance of the city. It was there he saw Colette with her face covered in her hands, facing the inn's wall. "Colette?" He asked carefully, reaching a hand out. Had something happened?

"8…9…10! Ready or not! Here I come!" Colette shouted and spun around with a smile. Upon seeing Lloyd she gasped and fell back on her bottom. "L-Lloyd! You're up!" She exclaimed in shock.

Lloyd gave her a hand up and smiled. "Of course! What are you doing all the way out here?"

Colette blushed, thinking back, and smiled to cover it up. Early that morning, Colette had gone into Lloyd's room to check on him and see if he was awake. When it was apparent that he was sound asleep, she turned to leave him be, but saw how cute he looked and stood there just staring fondly at him. When a lock of hair had fallen out of place, she'd gently tucked it back behind his ear, but then he moaned and turned on his other side away from her. Sighing sadly, she'd relented to opening his windows for some fresh air and letting him sleep. He did still need to rest after his ordeal back at Heimdall.

Afterwards, she went to the front gate and passed the time playing with the town's children until he finally woke up. She kinda felt guilty for spying on him, but she couldn't help herself.

"Colette? Are you okay?" Lloyd asked when she didn't respond, afraid she really was mad about the night before.

Snapping out of her reverie, Colette shook her head. "Yeah I'm fine. I thought you'd come this way, so I came here to wait for you." She giggled. "The children wanted to play so I thought 'why not'?"

Lloyd sighed in relief and forced a smile. "I'm glad."

Colette saw through his act and frowned. "What about you? Did everything go well with your father?"

Gasping, Lloyd's eyes widened in shock. "You knew?"

"Of course!" She smiled. "So is Kratos coming with us? I saw Zelos leave so I guess he's not coming."

"Yeah, he went to go see Sheena. Genis and Professor Sage are out too." He told her. "As for my father, he said to meet him after we got back to Iselia." Lloyd half lied. Then he remembered, "Have you seen Presea of Regal? They're the only ones I haven't heard from yet."

"Actually, Presea said she was going with Regal back to Altamira and the Lezareno Company. He's got some unfinished business and Presea wanted to see her sister again."

Sighing disappointedly, Lloyd slumped a little. "Just like that and they're all gone."

Colette placed a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry. We'll all still be friends even if we're far apart from each other. Besides, I'll always be by your side Lloyd."

Lloyd smiled and nodded. "You're right. Thanks Colette."

"You ready to go?"

Lloyd nodded and together they exited the tall gates of Meltokio. The breeze that welcomed them seemed different…refreshed. Like the planet was rejoicing in being healed of its inequalities. Closing his eyes, Lloyd let the waves of air flow over him, giving him their silent thanks.

"Bye bye Chosen!"

"Come visit us soon!"

Colette turned around and waved goodbye to the children as she called out her wings and took to the air. "You all be good for your parents while I'm gone!"

"We will!" They promised in unison.

Lloyd took a moment to quiet his beating heart and quell his nerves. To him, this was the first time he'd use his wings since the Great Seed and he was a little nervous to say the least. _Mother guide me…help me to understand…_ He prayed.

Flowing from his back, his two long angel wings grew and flared out on either side of him. It didn't hurt, like he feared it wound, but he felt the blood rush to his cheeks in embarrassment.

"Come on Lloyd! You can do it!" Colette encouraged from the air.

Focusing on his back with his eyes closed, Lloyd tried to visualize himself flying and was rewarded with the feeling of the ground disappearing beneath him. Opening his eyes once more revealed he was indeed floating in the air.

Giggling, Colette joined him on his side and together they flew off in the direction of Iselia, the sounds of the metropolis fading into the distance behind them. Looking below him, Lloyd was struck with awe from the beauty of the land. He'd seen it before, while on top of the rheairds, but something about flying over it with nothing underneath him gave him a thrill like no other.

So this is what it's like to be an angel… Dritan 

Dirk and Altessa, though they were in their element and amongst others of their kind, kept their wits about them at all times. The villagers seemed more uneasy than usual, Dirk noticed, and all eyes were on the two "outsiders". Dirk turned to Altessa and the dwarf confirmed his suspicions with a nod. _So…he's noticed it too…_

The village was one big cavern with shops and homes being carved right out of the rock. Walkways were three-foot niches connecting each mini cavern. Dwarves were excellent craftsman and easily made their living trading excavated ores and gems, faceted jewelry, and even weapons forged right underground.

The society all answered to one main Chief. It was this man that Altessa and Dirk were being led to see. The guard stopped just outside the passage leading to the chief's quarters, then nodded curtly, returning to his post.

The front of the passageway was lined with two torch stands lighting the way. Dwarves could see well in the dark and the torches probably served as decoration in honor of the one inside more than anything.

As the two walked inside, Dirk leaned in towards Altessa. "What do ya think could cause such a stir up amongst tha others?"

Altessa bent his graying brow with concern. "I don't know, but I don't think it's because of the reuniting of the two worlds."

Dirk nodded in agreement. "Something else is afoot."

When the passageway opened up, the two saw the leader chief sitting on a stone chair with a large granite slab in front of him, serving as a desk. "Ya two are from tha surface, are ya not?" He asked. The dwarf had bold black hair and a moustache, and wore on his head, a golden headdress. His attire, for the most part, was traditional dwarven clothing.

Dirk nodded. "Aye, we bring good news to the dwarves."

"The mana tree has taken root and is flourishin' as we speak." Altessa followed up. Both had decided that bringing up the idea of two worlds to a race that'd turned their back on civilization entirely didn't need to know about what didn't concern them.

"Aye, I've sensed the mana flow." The chief answered. "But another problem has arisen that threatens us as well." He began. "A long time ago, a man appeared within our boundaries and took refuge just outside our city."

"A man?" Dirk wondered. "A human?"

The chief shrugged. "We can't be sure, but tha very soil cringed at his presence and even now tha mana flow from tha tree is being distorted and kept away somewhere. We've been hearing Her cry ever since. The cavern he resided in turned black and reeked of death." He explained. "He seemed to use some of our passageways but didn't bother to come within tha city, so we let him be."

"Just recently tha man left and our guards searched his quarters to see what caused the earth to die like it had." The chief got up and paced around. "We found a shrine to an unholy deity we fear may have been responsible for the man's existence."

"Responsible?" Altessa frowned. "Do you believe it gave birth to him?"

"Spawned." The chief said slowly. "The man came alone…and left with whatever he'd summoned in that cavern."

"Ya think because he knows where ya are that he'll return?" Dirk asked.

The chief shook his head. "Whatever tha man's intentions are, he would've struck us first, but…" He emphasized. "Should he continue to exist on the surface, tha very earth will die, mana or no."

Dirk and Altessa exchanged looks and after bidding goodbye, made their way back through the passageways. As soon as they were out of the city limits, they stopped and turned to each other.

"What sort of creature would cause tha very ground they stand on to die so quickly?" Altessa wondered.

Dirk crossed his arms. "Whatever he is, tha dwarves know something has to be done. They won't be able to sit this one out like they did the Ancient War."

"But they don't know if he was human or not. That part bothers me and we don't know enough about him to take action." Altessa played with his beard in thought.

"Perhaps we should look inta his dwelling ta find some clues." Dirk suggested. It was true they didn't have enough information and if the man had already returned to the surface, it was only a matter of time before trouble started brewing. And as a dwarf, Dirk knew even a little bit of trouble could destroy the frail, fledgling world before it even got a chance to grow as a whole. After everything his son did, he would not let it all be in vein.

"Let's go." Altessa agreed, ducking down a side passage towards where they'd been told the man once stayed. Maybe there they'd find the answers they so needed.

Just outside Iselia 

Touching down just outside the village, Lloyd swayed a bit and tried to steady his footing as the world went out of focus for a moment. Black and white dots covered his vision and he couldn't see anything in front of him. His forehead had a slight numbing feeling to it and Lloyd was afraid he'd pushed himself too hard the first time.

Colette looked at him worriedly and held onto him until he came to his senses. "Lloyd? Are you okay?" The angel-girl didn't recall feeling such side affects, but then again that probably had something to do with Cruxis and their plans to turn her into Martel's vessel.

As soon as he could see again, Lloyd met Colette's worried gaze and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks." He assured.

_Over time your body should adjust to the mana used in such long flights. The effects will not be permanent._ Origin, the summon spirit, explained to the youth.

Colette looked from Lloyd to the entrance of Iselia and back again. "You coming?" Part of her was afraid Lloyd still wouldn't feel like he belonged because of the mishap with the Iselia Desian Human Ranch and subsequent punishment to the village itself.

"Actually, you go on ahead. I've got some other business I have to attend to." Lloyd explained. When Colette's eyes widened in shock, he laughed. "Don't worry. I'll be back before nightfall." He assured. Raising a pinky, he and Colette promised each other and then Colette surprised him by leaning forward and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"See you tonight at my house then!" She giggled at his red face and dashed into the village, her wings finally disappearing behind her.

Lloyd stayed paused for a moment, then took to the air South towards the mountain range behind Triet. It was there he was to meet with Kratos and use the Eternal Sword to send him to Derris-Kharlan. _Part of me doesn't want him to go because he'll be all alone up there. I wonder if he feels the need to punish himself for what Mithos did. I wish I could say 'I want you to stay here with me, Dad' but I know he doesn't think of us like that yet…even if we were this entire time._

_You fear for him? Why?_ Origin asked.

"Well come on, being alone up there for Martel knows how long…of course I'm at least worried for him." Lloyd admitted, spreading his wings out and catching an updraft to a higher plane.

_I know the Angel of Cruxis to be a formidable warrior and of noble heart, whatever he intends to finish in the Elven home world, it will not take his life._ The spirit replied.

"Elven home world? Oh that's right. The elves lived in Derris-Kharlan before the angels did, huh?" Lloyd remembered hearing that from Mithos' sister Martel while she inhabited Colette's body.

_Yes, it was only after Mithos rose to the angel-status that they went into hiding in the village of Heimdall, just outside my seal._ _The war decimated their numbers and they too lost their faith in mankind, just like I had…_Origin explained.

"And then Mithos used your power to split the worlds." Lloyd commented sadly. Looking towards the peak on the approaching mountains. "I'm not gonna do that to you, Origin. I'm not gonna make the same mistakes Mithos did."

_That I know. Otherwise I wouldn't have formed a pact with you, now would I?_

Lloyd smirked and saw his father's dark silhouette against the lighter brown background. "Well, here goes." He touched down in front of his father and relinquished his wings, exchanging them for the Eternal Sword instead. "Any reason for this particular spot?" He asked.

"It's the highest point in the new world, formally the Fooji Mountains, therefore using the sword to send me to Derris-Kharlan will be less costly." Kratos explained.

"Are you really going to Derris-Kharlan?" He asked in despair. He knew it was a stupid question, but he couldn't believe after getting his father back…he was loosing him again.

Kratos noticed his son's sad expression and added. "As a surviving member of Cruxis, I must bear the responsibility for what has happened."

"Cruxis is no more!" Lloyd countered. "You don't have to affiliate yourself under that name anymore. You're under no one's command. You are Kratos. You are your own person, which means making your own decisions, despite what you did under Mithos."

"This will not be forever, Lloyd." Kratos said, unwilling to back down from his decision.

Lloyd held back asking anything more and said instead, "I'm going to collect all the exspheres remaining in this land."

Kratos nodded. "And I will discard all of Cruxis' exspheres into space. I've dragged you into this until the very end."

"It's okay." Lloyd brushed it off.

He paused and a small smile crossed his face. "It's time for me to go. Please use that sword to send me to Derris-Kharlan."

Lloyd swallowed hard and tried to not to show his emotions. "Goodbye…Dad…"

Kratos wanted to hold his son, place his hands on his shoulders, _anything_ to show how much the boy truly meant to him, but in the end, he stayed rooted to the ground. "I'm very proud of you, Lloyd. You've become a find swordsman."

Lloyd lifted the Eternal Sword and smiled back. "Thanks." For some reason, he couldn't come out and say everything else he came to say. How much Kratos meant to him and how much…he would be missed.

The sword lit up and Kratos' form faded from view. As the angel rose into the clouds and up out to space, he could see his son wipe away the tears he'd been trying to hold in the entire time.

_Don't die before I do, Lloyd…my son…_Kratos thought to his son. Until the angel was done with Derris-Kharlan, his son would have to fend for himself. Kratos only prayed the Goddess Martel kept him safe until then.

Mizuho 

Sheena approached Mizuho and couldn't help but sigh with relief. Part of her feared that during the regeneration of the world, somehow Mizuho would end up on a high mountain or in the middle of the ocean. But as it would seem, the only major change was that they had a new neighbor: Luin, and Sheena couldn't be happier.

"Sheena!" A little girl came running out to meet the ninja and clasped her hands around her legs. "We missed you!" Behind the girl other children came running out along with their parents.

Sheena picked up the little girl and smiled. "Well I'm back and we don't have to worry about the Chosen of Sylvarant anymore!" She said mainly to the adults.

Orochi was present and as she placed the child down, who ran off happily, he said, "Sheena! I'm so glad you're safe!"

Another villager smiled happily as well. "Congratulations Sheena!"

The summoner blushed. It felt strange to actually belong and Sheena wasn't used to it. "Don't congratulate me yet. A whole new world lies before us now. We have to inform everyone about the revival of the Igaguri style."

Orochi agreed. "Yes and for when Kuchinawa returns as well."

"Yeah, come on everyone!" Sheena exclaimed. "Let's work as hard as we can! We're gonna make the village of Mizuho into a ninja clan to be proud of!"

Everyone cheered and Sheena finally felt the weight of her failure lift off her shoulders. True she'd still have to deal with Kuchinawa, but all in good time.

Saying goodbye to the congregating adults, Sheena made her way through the small village to the chief's home. Inside she found him still seated on the carpet, deep in meditation. _Maybe now's not a good time._ She thought, turning back around.

"I believe from the view of the landscape you were successful against the Angels of Cruxis, Sheena?"

Laughing nervously, Sheena shrugged. "Yeah, Lloyd found a way to reunite the worlds and the Great Viscus Tree has been reborn." She reported. "And the king…"

"…has pardoned our people. So I heard." Vice-Chief Tiga cut her off, finally opening his eyes with a smile. His black hair was cut short and his angled beard made him look dignified.

Sitting down in front of him, Sheena crossed her arms. "You make it really hard to keep a surprise, you know that?" She teased.

"If you like surprises, you're gonna love this one." A new voice interrupted.

Gasping, Sheena stood up when an old man appeared from behind Tiga. "Grandfather!" She ran and gave him a hug. "You finally woke up!"

"Yes, my dear Sheena and Tiga tells me you've had quite the adventure while I slept." The village's Chief Igaguri returned the hug with a smile. Though she called him Grandfather, he was more like an adopted father, taking her in at a young age.

Pulling back Sheena looked sadly at the ground. "Grandfather, at Volt's tower…I'm sorry I…"

"Don't worry, Sheena. You've succeeded in light of tremendous disadvantages and I couldn't be more proud." He assured.

Sheena's lips widened into a smile while the edges of her eyes showed sparkles of unshed tears. "Grandfather…"

His smile faded and he lowered his head with seriousness. "But I fear the worst is not yet over."

Sheena frowned and stepped back, looking at both leaders with concern. "What has happened?"

Heimdall 

Raine and Genis dismounted the rheaird and approached the village of Heimdall with caution. The wildlife around the quiet suburb were silent, which made little Genis that much more nervous. Even without the silence, the traces of mana around the area was disturbing. Mana was a person's very life and the fact that so many streamed throughout the space around the village was suspicious. On top of that, the traces practically stopped and disappeared, not giving the half-elves any idea where they'd gone off. "Raine?" He whispered.

Pulling out her staff, Raine nodded. "I know. Be on your guard." They entered the town, expecting to see some type of movement, evidence that the villagers were carrying out their daily lives like always, but nothing greeted their eyes. There was no blood or signs of a raid; even the houses remained standing. Usually they were the first to go, being burned to the ground in order to frighten and scare out hiding victims.

Genis held out his kendama and peered into the first house to his left. Inside, fresh bread was on the table still warm and glasses had been set out for breakfast. Whatever happened, it was short and to the point, leaving the town practically deserted.

Walking outside, Genis saw his sister come out of the elder's home and shake her head sadly. "Everyone?" He asked looking around.

Raine joined his side. "There are no injured, no dead. They just…disappeared." She spoke in disbelief.

A jump in mana levels from behind Raine brought Genis' weapon into action and he swung it around in an arc, encircling both him and his sister in a green hued shield. "Look out!" His call made Raine drop to his knees in surprise.

It was just in time because a huge flying monster bounced off and disappeared into the trees before either half-elf could get a good look at it. In its wake, though, it left silky black feathers falling from the sky.

Raine composed herself and stood up, taking a few breathes to calm her nerves. "Thank you, Genis."

The young magic user regarded the lonely village with sorrowful eyes. "Where do you think they all went, Raine? Do you think that monster had anything to do with it?"

Bending down, Raine picked up one of the discarded feathers and frowned. "I…don't know." She admitted slowly. "Let's head back to the entrance and get out of here. We'll head to Asgard. Maybe Harley and Linar can help us come up with a theory as to what's going on around here."

"Okay." Genis agreed reluctantly. He had hoped that returning to Heimdall would mean making a difference in the fight against discrimination, but how could they when the mysterious elves were nowhere to be found?

With their eyes peeled, both half-elves walked out of the village back to their magitechno flyer, only to find the rheaird in pieces. The wires were shredded and pieces of metal were burned beyond recognition. It was obvious whatever attacked the village and almost got to Raine had seen fit to completely destroy their form of transportation as well.

Sighing in exasperation, Raine started walking northeasterly. "Come on. It looks like we're walking from here."

"What about Lloyd? We should warn him and Iselia in case other villages get attacked." Genis suggested.

Raine shook her head. "We don't know enough yet. Heading to Asgard on foot means we might want to head South first and check out Palmacosta. We may hear more rumors there. Besides, Colette and Lloyd are only going to be in Iselia for maybe a day or two before they leave again. If we had reliable transport I would agree, but by foot there's no guarantee we'd get there before they left. It'll be impossible to track them after that."

Genis sighed and started following his sister towards the populated harbor town of Palmacosta. Catching a boat there would be easier than walking through Hakonesia Peak and without as many monsters on the sea, at least _someone_ would be willing to take them. They could be in Asgard in less than a couple of days. Genis didn't exactly look forward to seeing his sister hurl overboard, _But I guess it can't be helped._ He thought in exasperation.

Whatever threatened the peace they'd fought so hard to acquire had to be stopped…and soon.


	5. Disturbing Occurances

Disturbing Occurrences

_"Dwarven Vow #5: Do not point the way; Lead the way."_

Iselia 

The energetic blond smiled as her father and grandmother came out to greet her. "Grandmother, I'm home!"

"Ooh, Chosen One!" Phaidra said. Her voice was as gentle as ever, but Colette could hear the underlying wavering of tears not yet shed.

"No Grandmother, I'm not the Chosen anymore." Colette corrected.

"Oh yes…Colette, you have made us all proud." Phaidra's smile widened.

"Welcome home, Colette." Her father said.

"It's good to be home, Father." The angel-girl giggled and rushed to give her family a hug.

"How was your journey of regeneration?" Frank, her father, asked. His short blond hair and gentle brown eyes always made him someone people could confide in. In lieu of the mayor's resignation, the people of Iselia had decided Frank would be a fine leader to take his place and the humble man had agreed.

Biting her lower lip, Colette decided to bring her parents to the house and explain to them in private the truth about the Church of Martel…and of Cruxis in detail. The last time Lloyd and the others were there, they'd only given the two a summed up version. There was so much more that would have to change. The tale took them well into the night.

All her life, Colette had accepted the fact that she had been born as a form of salvation for the people of Sylvarant and was content with that. Spending endless nights reading old angel books in order to learn the language and prepare for her journey.

But it pained her to know that all that was in vein, that the journey and everything it stood for was a lie created by Mithos in order to revive his sister. During her journey, she'd spread the word of Martel, giving hope to those without, and yet in the end she had been caught up in the conspiracy as well.

Hoping to create a light for everyone to look forward to with her passing, Colette was saddened to know that had she succeeded, both worlds might've come to an end and she would be a mere empty shell with someone else's soul within her.

The haunting feeling of that and so much more ate away at the former Chosen from the inside, but she dare not tell anyone. She had already brought so much pain to Lloyd and those of their group, she didn't want to bring up new problems that she herself should've been able to deal with.

The falsification of the holy church would deal a heavy blow to all those in the new world, but Colette hoped that with the existence of the real Goddess Martel, others would continue to believe.

But Colette, though she knew Martel existed, found her own faith in the ideals of the church dwindling into nothing. No more would she believe unconditionally in the good of people; they would have to prove their worth. It was a harsh lesson, but one Colette would take to heart. Innocence is lost but gives way to experienced wisdom. The Colette that had left on her journey of regeneration was no more.

Lloyd returned, as promised, surprisingly just in time for dinner. The angel-warrior couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Phaidra or Frank this happy. Then he remembered back when they were about to reveal to him and Genis the truth of Colette's journey of regeneration, just before Iselia was attacked by Lord Forcystus and the desians. They thought they were loosing their precious little girl back then forever. To have her back must be an immense relief for them.

_Is that how you felt about me, Dad?_ Lloyd asked the angel who could no longer hear him. Kratos had once told Lloyd he thought Noishe and Lloyd had died the same day as Anna, but when he saw his son for the first time at the Temple of Martel, Lloyd wondered what his father felt when he'd seen Lloyd and learned of his existence. It was a question he hoped he'd be able to ask his father in the near future.

Frank and Phaidra insisted Lloyd stay in their house instead of traveling through Iselia Forest back to his house at night. In his room, Lloyd opened the window and stared up into the night sky, wondering how his father was faring.

"Lloyd? Can I come in?" Colette asked as she softly knocked on the door.

Turning around, Lloyd took a seat on the bed. "Sure thing."

Colette came in and sat down next to him with a smile. "Is everything okay in here?"

"Yeah, of course. I could've made it home alright, but Frank seemed worried something would happen." Lloyd replied, placing his hands back against the bed.

"Well, certain creatures have been spotted around Iselia Forest." Colette told him. "Ones that are different than the usual monsters that appear near the time of the oracle."

Lloyd heard her voice sadden and looked into her face worriedly. "Is…everything okay, Colette?"

She smiled widely again and nodded. "Yep."

Frowning, Lloyd sighed. "You only use that fake smile when you're hiding something. What is it?"

Colette looked away. "What do you mean?"

"Was is that talk you had with Phaidra and Frank?" Her best friend persisted.

"You heard that?" Colette asked in surprise. Sighing, she finally gave in. "I guess out of everyone, you'd notice first Lloyd. I just can't stop thinking that everything I was taught, everything I learned and fought for in order to pass the trials and become a true angel was for nothing. Cruxis and Mithos made the whole thing up."

"Yeah, a lot of people won't believe it when they hear it." He agreed. "But everything you and Raine knew really helped during our journey, you can't say it was _all_ for nothing." He tried to cheer her up.

"Yeah I know, and I can't completely blame Mithos for trying to bring back his sister." She admitted. "But…being a part of something that destroyed so many Chosen and caused thousands others from both worlds to suffer…it makes me feel sick."

"You can't blame yourself!" He retorted. "We were all fooled and it was Mithos would made up such a twisted system!" He softened and made Colette turn to him. "Now that he's gone we can make a better world, one where no one has to suffer like before. We have that power, Colette. It won't be easy…nothing ever is, but we can do it…together."

Smiling genuinely this time, Colette nodded. "Thanks Lloyd. I feel better now." Standing up, she made her way to the door once more. "I'll be in my room if you need anything. Good night Lloyd."

"Good night, Colette." Lloyd waited until she left and turned back towards the sky. "It won't be easy, will it, Dad?"

_Where do you plan to go first?_ Origin asked.

"Well, I have one more stop to make before actually starting this new adventure…"Lloyd replied quietly.

_Ah, after that might I suggest you go to the previous desian ranches? They will no doubt have exspheres left behind that will need…saving._

Brightening up, Lloyd kicked off his boots and stripped down to his under clothing. Getting into bed, he smiled. "That's a great idea. Thanks Origin." Closing his eyes, he forced all worries out of his mind and went to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Palmacosta 

Genis and Raine had made it to Palmacosta about noon the next day, just like Genis thought, and now looked around for supplies and kept their ears open for any…unusual comments.

The Grand Tethe'alla Bridge had become the connector between Meltokio and the mountain village of Hima, so Genis could barely make it out in the distance from Palmacosta. It was still strange to see things from Tethe'alla in the new world that held the cities from Sylvarant, but that meant his friends from both worlds could live together, so Genis was at least partially happy. Looking at the bridge made him shiver uncharacteristically.

The bridge itself didn't hold many fond memories for the young magic user, mainly because it was there Lloyd and the others had fought to save Raine and him from execution by the Papal Knights. It was then his best friend found out he was in truth not a full-blooded elf, but a half elf. It shocked him that the human didn't care one way or the other and the rest of the group could relate to them in one form or another.

Lloyd always seemed different than other humans and Genis always liked him for that, but at the moment the Papal guards were defeated, he was actually afraid his human friend would react like so many other common humans. It made him happy to know Lloyd was better than that and it made Genis want to stay by his friend's side no matter what. It was also what gave him the courage to help Lloyd save Colette in the Tower of Salvation, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

"Come on, Genis. We'll stop by the main office and have a word with Neil." Raine made Genis remember what they were here for and he ran to catch up with his sister. Inside, the blue haired man immediately recognized the two and smiled. "Professor Raine, Genis! What brings you to Palmacosta!?" He walked around the long curved desk to shake their hands.

"We were wondering if you've heard anything about weird monsters attacking villages around here. Luin or Ozette?" Raine asked.

"Luin no, and Ozette? Never heard of it." Neil replied.

"It's one of the new villages to the North." Genis explained.

Neil concentrated, but shook his head. "No, after the earthquakes and the Tower of Salvation collapsing, not to mention that weird tree destroying everything here, everyone was turning to the Temple of Martel to ask for guidance from the priests, but they couldn't do anything and this place was in an uproar. Lots of folks left." He said. "Now things have cooled down and although the sailing business is down because of the new bridge, people have returned to help rebuild and Palmacosta is flourishing!"

Raine smiled. "That's good to hear. Well thank you for your time." She bowed and left with her little brother.

As soon as the door closed, Genis looked up. "Well, where do we go now?"

Sighing, Raine held a hand to her chin. "Well, Asgard's our next best bet. From the top of the sacrificial ground, we should be able to get a good view of the new area, and Linar and Harley might have sensed something we haven't."

"Alright." Genis agreed and walked back over the small bridge leading to the Business District.

"Genis? Is that you?" Turning around, the two half elves were shocked to see Chocolat and Maria walk up to them. "How have you guys been doing?" The young girl asked. "Where are Lloyd and the others?"

"We all split up not too long ago." Raine said. "Have either of your heard anything about villages being attacked?" The scholar asked.

Maria nodded. "Well, not villages exactly, but a man came to Palmacosta just last night and collapsed outside our shop." She said.

Chocolat continued. "He was wounded pretty bad and none of our medicines worked, not even Grandma's." Looking down sadly, she added. "He was in so much pain, we didn't know what to do."  
"We informed the temple and the priests came and took him to be treated. He should still be there." Maria told them. "It's not much, but I hope it helps."

Raine smiled in appreciation. "Thanks, we'll go check it out for ourselves."

"If you guys ever get together with Lloyd again, you should come down for a visit!" Chocolate waved goodbye and she and her mother returned to Marble's Shop.

"So, shall we go see him then?" Genis asked.

"Yes, let's." Together they both went to the Temple of Martel and asked the priests there politely if they could see the patient. When they refused, saying the man was beyond help, Raine mentioned her power of healing from the unicorn horn and they immediately showed the two where the man was being held.

Genis was surprised at the security the church was keeping by the front door alone. Two guards stood watch in case the patient inside tried to escape. Genis was actually double thinking going in. "Um, Raine…?"

"I know, but if they're really this concerned about one man, perhaps he will be able to shed some light on what it was we saw at Heimdall." She explained. Once inside, the door locked behind them with a click. The man appeared to be human and moaned painfully in his sleep. He tossed and turned like he was having a nightmare. He didn't even notice there were other people in the room with him. On his arm was a large gash that was black on the edges and seemed to spread across his skin down to his hands and across his chest. It was like instead of leaking blood, the wound was leaking pure evil and that force wanted to take over the man's entire body.

"Do you really think you can help him, Raine?" Genis asked, staring down sadly at the tormented man. It reminded him so much of what Lloyd had to go through before.

"We won't know until we try." Raine took a deep breath and held her staff over him. Closing her eyes, she chanted the spell and the mother of pearl stone at the tip of her rod lit up.

The man glowed white for a moment, then when it dimmed down, he stopped thrashing and slowly opened his eyes. "W-Where?" Looking over at his arm his eyes went wide when he saw the gash was gone.

"My name is Raine and this is my little brother Genis. Don't worry; I've healed your wound so you should be fine."

Looking at the two half-elves, the man tried to speak but his voice was parched.

"Hang on." Genis poured some water from a glass on a nearby table and handed it to the man. "Here you go."

He took a drink and slowly sat up. "I…thank you for saving me." He finally said.

"It was nothing, but we were wondering…what attacked you?" Raine asked.

The man stared straight ahead and immediately relived his incident. "It was a grotesque creature with skin like ash and hair as dark as ebony. But its eyes…they were white, no…silver. Like they had been carved right out of the moon itself. It had long metal claws attached to its hands and wore a mage's cloak." He turned to Raine. "It had long ears like an elf but far more evil."

Genis gasped and took a step back. "An elf? Are you sure?" The man nodded. "Did it have wings?"

"Genis." Raine shushed him.

The man frowned. "Um…not that I know of."

"Where did this happen?" Raine asked.

"Over by the Tower of Mana." He replied. "I didn't really feel like my wounds were too serious, since I had them tended to at that Mizuho place, until they started to change color and spread. I barely made it to the entrance here when I felt weak and fainted."

"Thank you for your time. I'd advise you stay here and rest a couple more days. I'll talk with the priests and tell them to relieve the guards outside your room."

"Guards?"

"Let's go Genis." Raine turned around and both left the man to his rest.

Genis and Raine talked to the head priest like she'd promised, then made their way towards the dock. "No way it was an elf." He breathed in denial.

"We can't eliminate the possibility until we see for ourselves. We'll still go to Asgard and see if any similar incidents have been reported. Then we'll go to the tower and investigate."

Genis was worried it was the villagers from Heimdall, but he couldn't be sure. _I don't believe it. Whatever attacked that man had to be something else. _Until he saw it for himself, Genis refused to believe the people who'd lived in hiding _away_ from conflict would go out into the world to cause it. It just didn't make sense! So many things didn't nowadays though and it was getting increasingly harder for the young half-elf to keep up. Hopefully in Asgard they'd hear more about these monsters. Genis only prayed when they did, it would point them away from Heimdall instead of towards it.

Suspicious tunnel underground near Dritan 

Altessa carried a torch into the cavern that, like the Chief said, reeked of death. The floors, walls, and ceiling were all dark black and nothing, not even the mushrooms that usually abundantly grew in the underground tunnels, could take root here. The old craftsman looked around suspiciously as his partner stopped by his side. "By the holy Goddess Martel, what could've survived down here for so long?" He breathed in shock.

"I don't know, but let's go find out." Dirk took the torch and led the way into the ominous cave dwelling. Books and old artifacts were strewn here and there, but Dirk wasn't sure it meant anything out of the ordinary. Large statues were erected on the sides of a strong warrior with four arms each wielding swords. Around his waist was a belt with the angelic symbol for death on it and behind him were scaly, unearthly wings that stretched out to attach to the next statue.

"Perhaps this man really did summon an evil spirit." Altessa whispered.

Frowning, Dirk continued to the back of the cave. "It's hard to say." At the back was a table and behind it was another statue, this one posed differently than the rest, and it gave the dwarf the idea that it was used like a shrine or offering table more than anything. "But, I'm beginning to believe it myself the longer we stay here." This statue crossed its swords in two pairs, one across its chest and the other by its waist. Its leathery looking wings were folded inwards, creating a sort of living cocoon.

Altessa looked at all the offerings and picked up a particularly strange looking pendant that had been carved out of wood. The metal chain was rusted, but the wood shown no sign of aging. "Perhaps we need a second opinion."

Dirk saw it and nodded. "Let's get what we can from here and try talking to Phaidra. She is the prominent scholar on Martel and her teachings. If this is unholy, by any means, she'll know."

Altessa agreed and the two gathered the few books and mini statues left behind and made their way out. Hopefully nothing would come from these because otherwise, something was out there and it had the potential to be very, very dangerous.

Iselia 

As soon as day broke, Lloyd and Colette bid farewell to Frank and Phaidra and exited the village. Lloyd groaned and held his stomach with a grin. "Man I've missed Phaidra's eggs in the morning."

Colette giggled. "I guess we take the simple things in life for granted from time to time."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "Not you. That was like your motto for the first sixteen years of your life." He reminded her. "What is it now?"

"Hmm," She thought. "I guess that there's a great distance between saying something and doing something. I did a lot of talking during my journey, but we aren't remembered for our words so much as our actions."

Lloyd laughed but agreed. "I'd expect nothing less from my Colette!"

She blushed and covered her cheeks with her hands. "Anyway, where to first?"

"Actually, I was wondering if we could stop by my house first. There's something I have to do there."

"Sure thing." Colette agreed.

When they reached the edge of Iselia Forest, Noishe was there to greet them and barked happily.

"Noishe!" Lloyd exclaimed happily.

Colette scratched him behind the ear and he waved his tail in pleasure. "Have you been good while we were gone?"

Lloyd rolled his eyes with a grin and climbed on with Colette behind him and took off towards Dirk's house. No matter where the four-legged canine disappeared to, he always found his way home again.

When they got there, he told Colette to wait with Noishe while he went to talk to his dad.

Dirk was standing by Anna's grave deep in thought. "Hey Dad." Lloyd greeted quietly.

Gasping, the dwarf spun around to meet the eyes of his adopted son. "L-Lloyd, y-you're home!"

Frowning at the stuttered response, Lloyd cocked his head to the side. "Yeah I came to say goodbye to mom." He replied slowly and suspiciously. "Everything alright here?"

"Aye, I'm fine. It's just…" He paused. "Something's amiss in tha dwarven underground. Altessa's inside, but we can't be sure of anything just yet. We came back here to rest before heading to Phaidra's."

Lloyd placed a hand on his hip. "Well, she's back at Colette's house so now's a good time to see her." Turning to the tombstone, Lloyd held onto his cruxis crystal and sighed sadly. "Mom, Dad left. That was okay, wasn't it? For me to let him go…it was okay right?"

"Lloyd…you wanted to go with him, didn't ya?" Dirk asked suspiciously.

Lloyd shook his head. "No, I have my own path to follow and Dad has his. And besides, I have a dad here already." He covered up his true feelings with a lie.

"I see, then I won't say any more." Dirk promised.

Turning back towards her grave, Lloyd knelt down and took out the Flamberge, the fire-tinted blade that once belonged to his biological father. "Mom, I'll leave Dad's sword here besides you." He placed the sword down and stood up. "Well, I'm off!"

"Lloyd." Dirk interrupted. "Be careful. Just because Cruxis is gone doesn't mean other evil isn't out there. Take the sword with ya…at least for now."

Lloyd frowned. "Do you know something you're not telling me?"

Dirk shook his head. "Not yet, but I'll let ya know when I get the whole picture."

"Okay, thanks. We'll I'm leaving on another adventure." He announced, leaving it at that. Bending down he picked the sword up and tucked it back into his sheath. "Come on Colette!"

The angel girl came flying over with Noishe running on the ground. She landed next to the duo and held up a thumb. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah." Lloyd knelt down next to his pet. "Sorry pal, you better stay here this time." Noishe whined, but Lloyd shook his head. "We're going to be doing a lot of traveling by air and I'm not strong enough to carry you all the time." Standing up he summoned his wings and went up into the air with Colette, waving down at his family. "See ya later!"

Dirk watched in sadness as his son flew away. "Protect him, Anna. Protect him…from whatever's out there."

The Grand Tethe'alla Bridge 

Zelos approached the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge with caution as several workers filled the area. It took him longer than he thought to leave Meltokio considering he had no supplies, minimal weapons and armor, having taken most of it off for the festival, and the fact that he had to rethink where Mizuho would be in the revived new world made him turn around and return to Meltokio castle almost as soon as he left the city limits.

Having left the next day, he now saw a bunch of commotion near the drawbridge portion of the connector. "What's going on here?" He asked the first worker that passed by him.

"Master Zelos!" The man exclaimed. "W-we were ordered by Princess Hilda to remove the exspheres from the bridge and deliver them to you upon your arrival. We've removed every single one and placed them in pile for you."

"Really…" It was an amazing gesture from the royal family, but the idea of carry all those glass orbs the entire distance to Mizuho wasn't something Zelos looked forward to. "Thanks, uh, I'll take them as soon as you're done."

"Right!"

An hour later, Zelos had two bags full of exspheres thrown over his shoulder. Behind him, five more workers carried the same amount. The rest were being stored in the one wing pack Zelos still had on him. They were currently entering the meadow leading to Gauracchia Forest.

_Damn…equipping an exsphere is one thing…_ Zelos breathed heavily. _But carrying 30,000 is another._ True the ones in his pocket didn't weight anything, but the ones on his back definitely were going to make his muscles give him hell tomorrow.

"Wha? What's that in the sky!?" One of the workers stopped and looked up. No sooner had he asked than gurgling sounds were heard and the panic broke out.

Hearing the commotion, Zelos ducked down just as something whizzed over his head. Unsheathing his double-edged sword and equipping his shield, Zelos raised his arm to deflect another attack from the side. "Damn it's fast!" He exclaimed, not getting a clear look at it.

Two more screams were heard as workers were gutted by the passing creatures and black feathers danced on the air.

Zelos blindly swung his sword as he cursed and rolled to avoid yet a third creature. "How many of you are there!?" He growled.

The former chosen looked over and saw the last of the workers had been killed and their bags of exspheres were missing. "The exspheres? _That's_ what they're after?"

An inkling from behind him came a moment too late and Zelos was thrown forward, being slashed across the back. He managed to keep his footing until another ran across his chest from the side, and another from the front. Blood soaked his pink shirt and splattered into the air and onto the fresh grass below. His vision darkened and he couldn't see anything but black feathers all around. _What's…going on?_

Unable to go on anymore, and too wounded to fight if he wanted to, Zelos – former Chosen of Tethe'alla – collapsed onto the meadow floor.

Altamira 

Presea held a bouquet of lovely forget-me-nots, and placed them gently on her sister's grave. The view from the top of the Lezareno Company building was amazing, but the serenity was what drew her here. Regal had done a wonderful job creating Alicia's memorial and Presea appreciated it.

"Alicia, I'm finally myself again. You know what? I'm twenty-eight years old now. Can you believe that?" Presea said.

"Were you…talking with Alicia?" Regal came up to Presea's side and knelt down, placing another flower next to the bouquet, this one a single red rose.

"Yes." Presea nodded.

"I just got back from overseeing that destruction of part of the mine. Now that that's done, we can rest assured that no new exspheres will be excavated."

Presea smiled. "That's good to hear. What are your plans now?"

"I'm going to devote the full resources of my company to revitalization projects in order to build a new and better world." Regal replied with pride. With the king's pardon, Regal assumed leadership of Lezareno and already had great plans for it.

Presea liked the idea. "I'll help too. I'm sure Alicia and Daddy would've wanted me to."

Regal walked to the edge of the terrace behind Alicia's memorial and looked down at the new landscape. "If only she could be here to see this…" He sighed sadly.

Presea stood by his side. "She is…and I bet she has the best view." This made both laugh until George cleared his throat and brought their attention to behind them.

"I am sorry to disturb you…" He apologized with a bow. "But I needed to inform you that I've just received word from the workers at Toize Valley Mine. It seems they were all offered a higher wage to begin digging at a new mine and quit their contracts with us."

"What? All of them?" Regal asked.

"So it would seem."

"Where is this new mine?" Presea questioned.

"It is North of Toize Valley, on the other side of the mountain range." He reported.

"That would still be within our boundaries of contract. They cannot begin digging there without my authority." Regal frowned with concern. "Perhaps I should look into this personally."

Presea tugged on his sleeve. "If another mine has opened up in the nearby area, it can only be in hopes of mining the exspheres there, correct? No other minerals or gems were abundant in the area except the inhibitor ore and even that leaves room for concern."

"Yes, this definitely needs to be investigated."

"I will go with you." Presea said.

"Let's go."

_Derris-Kharlan_

The lone passageways of Derris-Kharlan sparkled and glowed with the mystical energy that had created them. The blues and blacks that shone as far as the eye could see had been the home for Kratos for nearly 1,000 years. Usually active with some sort of commotion, it was now completely deserted of all its previous inhabitants, the angels.

At one time all the supposed angels the Church of Martel praised were really half-elves that Mithos evolved using cruxis crystals like the one Kratos had equipped. Mithos' intentions had been pure at one time, but after the death of Martel, Mithos turned his attention to reviving her and split the worlds in order to hoard the mana and keep her spirit alive. Although the war was over, now both sides shared a meager amount of mana in order to survive and Mithos then created the Desian Organization to support the myth behind the journey of regeneration.

Anyone else caught wondering these barren walkways with the darkness of space surrounding them would feel out of place and lonely. But loneliness was not something that irked at Kratos. No, he'd long come to terms with that painful feeling. Besides when it came to true anguish, the angel had already been…well educated.

Derris-Kharlan, 15 years ago… 

Kratos came to consciousness slowly, not quite remembering what had happened or where he was. It all came to him in pieces, the feeling of him floating, then the image of Kvar's smirking face…

Anna…the monster!

Jolting back to reality, Kratos cried out, "Anna!" Struggling, he soon realized the floating feeling was because he was bound by his wrists above the ground, surrounded by darkness. The air was moist and the sound of dripping water could be heard echoing off the stonewalls.

"Anna yes, host body A012 from the Iselia Ranch." Mithos Yggdrasill came walking in the column of light filtering down upon Kratos and smirked. He still wore his white robe and pants, and his large lavish wings fluttered lightly behind him. "I've heard you took special interest with her."

Kratos felt incredibly weak and could feel the flesh around his wrists was raw and tender from supporting his weight. Crimson blood dripped down his arms and soaked his clothes, caking against his skin. Wiggling his fingers the angel discovered his cruxis crystal had been removed, which would explain why his body hadn't started healing yet. His usually vibrant angel wings hung limply against his back, appearing tattered and worn down. "Mithos…listen to me…" He tried to speak but his voice was horsed.

The angel-lord's smile changed to a sneer and Mithos savagely backhanded Kratos across the face, sending him reeling. "I gave you the power most humans only dream about, Kratos! I have turned this despicable land into a competent society, raising you to my second in command – above all others – only for you to turn your back on not only me, but Martel as well!"

Kratos winced inwardly at the mention of his friend's name. "Mithos…"

Lord Yggdrasill backhanded his friend again and snarled. "You will speak when spoken to, dog!"

Blood trickled from the corner of the warrior's mouth and he knowingly stayed silent.

"First Botta – that inbred ape – starts that infernal organization, The Renegades, stopping me at every turn from reviving my dear sister, and now this!" The angel-lord paced around his captive, his wings spasming with agitation.

"You've…changed Mithos. You're not the man who left on a journey to become more powerful in order to fend for your people. Yuan and I both see that…" Kratos tried to get through to his long-time friend. "But we never…"

"What was his name?"

Kratos frowned, not quite understanding. Then shock set in and he looked off to the side.

Getting angry again, Mithos yanked Kratos' head up by the hair and glared at him with menacing green orbs. "What was the name of your son!? I'm going to make sure he and that wench of yours are burned off the face of this Earth! The crystal _will_ be retrieved and Martel will live again!"

"Mithos…"

"I am Lord Yggdrasill!" Mithos threw Kratos' head down and rammed him in the face with his elbow.

Stars danced before his eyes, but Kratos refused to say anything. If either his love or his son still lived, he would protect them to the last of his breath.

"Don't want to talk? Very well, remain here in the darkness. But I tell you now, I _will_ find your son and then you will truly know what it means to suffer as I have." Mithos turned and walked away, leaving his one-time friend alone in the dark.

Kratos felt tired not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. He'd long given up his life as a human to live as an angel, working besides a cause he no longer knew if he supported. But Kratos had made a promise and would not break it. He hoped that by staying by Mithos' side, his friend would return to the light. If that turned out not to be the case, Kratos would buy himself time to continue his search and find another way to save both worlds.

"Kratos, why do you allow yourself to be tortured like this?" A new voice asked the lone angel.

Knowing that voice, Kratos craned his neck to peel into the darkness. "Yuan?"

Walking into the light, the true renegade leader smiled sympathetically as he regarded his friend. Yuan's bright blue, neatly kept hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail and his own angel wings swayed gently behind him. "I heard what happened to Lloyd and Anna at Iselia. I am sorry." He offered his condolences.

"…"

"There's still time." Yuan said. "Join me and we can put an end to Mithos' twisted ways."

Kratos remembered being offered the same proposal right before when Yuan secretly defected the Angels of Cruxis to create The Renegades. It had been tempting then, but Kratos had still believed in Mithos to see the error of his ways. "No, I cannot. I will not break my oath." He kept his own plans a secret.

"An oath that you made to a friend! The man who calls himself Lord Yggdrasill, leader of the Angels of Cruxis and the desians, is not that man! He died that day with Martel, we both know that!" Yuan countered with earnest. Kratos knew the source of Yuan's passion and could understand his pain.

"Yuan…" Kratos' breath was still ragged. "Lloyd…he may still be alive." The angel explained. "If he lives…find him. Don't let him grow up alone."

"Kratos." Yuan heard voices approaching and flicked his eyes in the direction Mithos had disappeared.

"Get out of here." Kratos said. When Yuan was about to protest, the warrior shook his head. "At another time, perhaps, I will see the light of your words. Until then go. If Mithos is truly beyond saving, then only you can save the worlds he fights to destroy."

Yuan tightened his lips and nodded, turning around and disappearing from whence he came. Kratos allowed himself a small smile, as he was once again alone. Yuan was a good friend, even if he was kind of against them. The angel-warrior knew that one day, should Kratos remain by Mithos' side, he may be forced to face his friend. If that were to happen…

Mithos approached with another half-elf he'd transformed using the cruxis crystal, and wore that same self-serving smirk he had before. "I believe you know Remiel, Kratos?"

The angel-warrior put up with the half-elf-turned-angel only because Mithos demanded it, but in truth the two were constantly at odds with each other. Remiel's only desire was for power and because Kratos was originally human, disliked him as a superior even more.

Remiel smirked and narrowed his eyes as he played with the metallic chain-like whip in his hands. It looked like barbed wire with a handle for the overseer. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Mithos looked Kratos in the face and shook his head. "If your life wasn't involved with Origin's seal, I would destroy you." Standing up, he added, "But then how good a friend would I be?"

Mithos passed by Remiel and nodded, leaving the two alone.

Remiel uncurled the chain and walked around behind Kratos' restrained form. "Humans like you," He pulled the whip back and slashed at Kratos' spine. "Should learn their place," He slashed again, the chain ripping open Kratos' flesh, tattering his wings and all.

Kratos bit his lip to restrain from crying out and refused to give the angel behind him the satisfaction. Blood dripped down onto the floor and his head swam from the loss of blood. Remiel's laugh echoed as he continued the barrage and soon Kratos knew nothing but agonizing pain and darkness. _Mithos…what have you become?_

Kratos sighed and held one of the cruxis crystals that remained in the former city of angels. Concentrating, it began to glow and fade away, being transported safely into the vacuum of space. These crystals with no souls, were dormant, and with no one able to get them in space, they couldn't be used to attach to unwilling hosts and awakened. Kratos knew one person in particular would be wanting the exspheres and the angel had to make short work of them to prevent _him_ from getting any. Otherwise, Lloyd didn't stand a chance. _Hold on Lloyd…and be safe…_


	6. Shadows of Deceit

Shadows of Deceit

_"Dwarven Vow #17 – On an unknown road, it is better to be slow."_

Gauracchia Forest 

Lloyd looked back and forth trying to decide which path to take. The last time they'd been in here, they had Sheena to guide them through to Mizuho. Now all the twists and turns looked the same.

The forest was filled with old rotting trees and many of the surviving monsters sought refuge in its twisted roots and trunks. Rumor had it that a thief once stole a treasure and hid it deep within this maze and that was the cause for the evil feelings travelers felt while passing through and the decaying of the forest…or at least that was part of the story. Lloyd didn't _really_ believe in ghost stories anyway…

Kicking a nearby stone, the swordsman growled with frustration. "Damn it! Why'd the Palmacosta Desian Ranch have to end up in the middle of this stupid haunted forest?"

"It's not haunted," Colette tried to comfort. "That was just Zelos trying to spook us out." Being so close to a place where humans were turned into exspheres made the angel-girl shiver, but she hid her discomfort. Lloyd was doing enough complaining for the both of them. It would've been easier to find the ruins from the air had there not been so much foliage.

Lloyd sighed in exasperation and randomly picked one of the paths. "Well, let's just try this way and if we don't see the ranch soon, we'll turn around and try the other one."

"Sounds like a plan!" Colette said happily.

Raising an eyebrow at her enthusiasm, Lloyd had to smile. "You know, I still remember when you couldn't show emotion at all. How much I wanted you to give me one grin, just one laugh to show you were you."

The memory made Colette look away sadly. "I wanted to…really. I just couldn't."

Patting her on the back, Lloyd shook his head. "Don't worry, I don't blame you." _I blame myself…_ "I just make sure to notice all the times you smile now and I appreciate it more."

Colette nodded and her own happiness returned. "I'm glad."

Holding hands they started off down the wooded path when the bushes nearby started rustling. Lloyd immediately pulled out his swords and pushed Colette behind him. The angel-girl unhooked her chakrams and prepared for battle as well. "Who's there!?" Lloyd called out.

Suddenly a small boy ran out frightened and caught off guard, Lloyd pulled up his swords so as not to hurt the child and ended up colliding with him. Both fell to the ground and Colette gasped. "Lloyd! Are you alright!?"

Moaning, Lloyd opened his eyes and sat up. He saw the kid was half collapsed on top of him and got worried. "Hey, kid, you okay?"

Getting to his knees, the boy looked up and met Lloyd's concerned gaze. "Y-yeah, I think so." Then he jumped up to his feet and ran off. "Gotta go!"

Frowning, Lloyd stood up himself and looked in the direction the boy had disappeared. It was the path he decided not to go down. "Huh, must be from Mizuho or something. What other kid would be caught in a forest this creepy?" He commented, thinking nothing of it.

Colette thought it strange the boy would run so quickly into Lloyd, yet no monster, which she assumed made him scared in the first place, followed. "I wonder what he was doing here?"

Lloyd sheathed his swords. "Who knows? Maybe it's a Mizuhoen tradition to start training their kids young and one of their trials is surviving a day in the woods?"

Colette hung her weapons on her hips once more and turned to her friend. "You just think that up?" The logic behind the statement, coming from the dense teenager, surprised her.

Lloyd shrugged. "Not really. My father, Dirk, used to make me carve certain animals out of wood as a test to see how well I had gotten, you know detail and such. Towards the end he even made me practice with inhibitor ore to try and make key crests."

"So that's how you got so good repairing them!" Colette caught on.

"Yeah, the only part I never perfected was the spell carving. Something about it was always too difficult and the key crests never worked." Lloyd started walking again. "Come on, we better get to the ranch before nightfall, unless you want to camp out in the middle of this."

"No way! It's far too creepy for me." She ran up to Lloyd's side and they finally left the fork in the road. _I just want to find the exspheres and get out of here. I can't help but feel we're being watched…_

_Mizuho_

"That's horrible!" Sheena exclaimed. "And you haven't been able to find them anywhere?" It was hard to imagine so many people from the elven village could just vanish without a trace. "I have to get over there! Raine and Genis could be in trouble!"

Igaguri nodded. "I understand."

Sheena unconsciously clutched onto the charm she'd received from Kuchinawa that hung around her neck and thought to herself: _Please understand. I will come to you and settle our score, but I have to see if my friends are okay._ "I'll report back as soon as I can." She bowed and ran from the room.

Sheena wished she had Corrine with her still, but she had other friends now and she would _not_ lose them. Skidding to a halt under the overhang that protected the people within with a mystical spell centuries old, Sheena immediately lost all feeling in her body. "Z-Zelos!"

The redheaded warrior could barely stand on his feet, let alone reply, and merely smiled upon hearing the ninja speak. _Good, they haven't attacked the village._ His entire body was covered in so much blood, it was hard to tell where the actual wounds were. Holding up the wing pack, Zelos had to make sure the exspheres were destroyed before the creatures from before found out they'd actually only taken a small portion of them. "T-they…have to…be…destroyed…Sheena..." Eyes closing, Zelos collapsed into the dirt and remained unmoving.

Sheena took one step forward, falling to her knees in shock and disbelief. What could've attacked the warrior so badly that he was on the brink of death…or worse…"Z-ZELOS!!!"

Asgard 

Genis stayed quiet while Raine explain to Linar and Harley at their home of their journey up until now. Part of him felt guilty because last time they were here and Harley immediately sensed they were half-elves. Genis tried to cover it up because Lloyd and the others still hadn't been told that Raine and he were not really full-blooded elves. No one in Iselia really had any prejudices about half-elves, except the mayor, but Genis abided by Raine's wishes and upheld the lie.

As soon as his sister was finished, Linar and Harley were pensive in thought. "Hmm, well I haven't exactly _heard_ anything about unusual monsters except the ones left over from the regeneration of the world." Linar said.

"But we have noticed that a large amount of mana has been sucked up towards the North." Harley thought to mention.

"Usually we wouldn't think much of it, with the revival of the Great Viscus Tree and all…" Said unsurely. "But the sheer amount rivals that of the Goddess and the tree itself!"

Harley nodded. "It's almost suffocating."

Raine looked to Genis and said, "I think we should go up to the platform now. The only thing significant to the North would be the Tower of Mana."

"That's where that guy said he was attacked!" Genis jumped to his feet. "Let's do it!"

Asha cupped her hands in front of her. The woman they had saved from being sacrificed was a very gentle person and it was no wonder her close friends were willing to blow an entire platform up, no matter the historic significance, in order to save her. "Please be careful. If there are monsters about, it could be dangerous."

"Don't worry. If we encounter any trouble, we'll run away and avoid confrontation." Raine assured. "We are not as powerful as before by ourselves." She took note.

Genis nodded. "Thanks for your help and putting us up for the night." He bowed in gratitude.

Asha giggled and smiled. "It's no problem!" She patted him on the head. "I just can't get over how cute you are!"

Genis closed his eyes as she pinched his cheek and ducked behind Raine. "Well, we gotta go, right Raine?"

She hid her own smile and turned around. "Of course, thank you again Harley, Linar and Asha."

"May the Goddess Martel protect you!" Asha waved goodbye.

Once outside, Genis rubbed his reddened cheek. "She makes it seem I'm some sort of pet." He complained.

This time Raine let out a short laugh, then covered it when Genis glared at her. "Oh come on. It wasn't _that_ bad." When they got to the top of the stairs, both siblings approached the edge overlooking the terrain carefully. Raine could immediately sense the mana flow their friends had mentioned earlier and frowned. "The Summon Spirit Luna is no longer there and Colette broke the seal during her journey of regeneration, so what do you think is the reason for the mana charge?" She asked her younger brother.

Genis sat down and placed his hands on his knees, putting his chin gently on top of his palms and sighed. Although the view was beautiful, it held an eerie, ominous feel to it…like something was lying in wait to destroy the beauty. The tower almost glowed with the amount of mana inside and Genis wondered himself what could need so much power. The Great Viscus Tree could also be seen a little to the Southeast of the pillar, but just like their friends had said, the tower held close to the same amount. "I don't know, but the idea creeps me out. I can't believe for one second that it was the elves from Heimdall that attacked that man."

"But we cannot exclude that conclusion until we disprove it. Now come on, we're going to the Tower of Mana." Raine started towards the steps again.

Sighing, Genis quietly followed. The more they found out, the more discouraged he got. He wished Lloyd was still around. His best friend could always make him feel like he could do anything and give him courage was he was afraid. Without that now, the little mage didn't know how to control his fear. If he failed to cast a spell at any time, it would be his sister who would fall. _I have to try and face this like Lloyd would. Just because he's not here, doesn't mean I didn't learn a thing or two during my travels with him. I can do this._ Genis told himself. Placing a hand on his kendama, Genis closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He just hoped his magic would be enough.

North of Toize Valley Mine 

The mountain range on top of the mine covered most of the southern half of the continent and the sun reflecting off the rock made the area unbearably hot. But it did provide Regal and Presea enough cover as they observed the activities of the miners. Nothing seemed amiss. Workers went into the newly dug mine and came out with wheelbarrows full of unrefined exspheres.

Exspheres, in their dormant state, were easily handled and mined out of the ground. With rock still attached to them in various places, the stones had to be shipped by boat to be cleaned. Various companies would buy them, either to equip or use them as power sources, this method mainly being used in the former Tethe'alla. Regal assumed some of the buyers sent them to desian ranches where they were attached to human hosts in order to awaken them. It was for this reason Regal wanted to close down the mine and begin funding research that looked for a new energy source.

"The workers don't seem to be under ill treatment." Presea commented.

Regal narrowed his eyes. "No, they are working of their own free will." Forced labor was one of the theories he and Presea had come up with as to the reason why the miners would quit, then break the law to mine on Lezareno land without permission. "It is time we find out what is really going on here." He said with determination.

Standing up, the two approached the nearest worker and tapped him on his shoulder. "Excuse me but what is going on here?" Regal asked in a commanding voice.

The worker turned around with a bored expression, but upon seeing his former boss standing no more than a foot away, nearly choked on whatever he was chewing and jumped back in surprise. "M-Master Bryant!" He exclaimed. "W-what are you doing here?"

Regal crossed his arms. "I _own_ this land, or have you forgotten since you quit working for me?"

The man pulled on his shirt to get some air underneath his clothes and laughed nervously. "Look, it ain't nothing personal…"

"Then what is it?" Presea persisted. Without having been around the business world for very long, she knew how to carry herself really well. Perhaps she was more intimidating speaking in such a level tone, while still appearing like a ten-year-old.

The man visibly began sweating. "Well, you see, once we got word that the mine was going to close, a lot of us got worried about our job security. You know, we got families to feed and all."

"Go on…" Regal shifted weight onto the other leg and listened intently.

"Well, I received a letter just outside Toize Valley that said if we wanted to make more money than we were now, to head over to the other side of the mountain range and be ready to work." The worker explained. "When we got there, a man wearing a black cloak was there and handed us a bag full of gald. 'Split it up amongst yourselves' He said, 'But if you accept this money, be prepared to accept the consequences'. He told us to dig here for dormant exspheres and leave what we mined at the end of each day at a mesa towards the top of the peak."

Regal frowned. "Did he give you a name?"

"No, not at all. Since most of us were afraid about finding other jobs, especially after all the earthquakes and storms, we accepted and started digging. I leave 'em at the top on the mesa, just like he said, and everyday more money is left at the cave entrance and the stones are gone. You gotta understand, we didn't have much of a choice."

Presea looked up at Regal. "Perhaps we should look into the identity of this mysterious foreman?"

Regal shook his head as he turned to her. "No, I've got a better idea." He replied. Looking back at the worker, Regal instructed. "Finish today's work and then I want everyone gone. I will send reinforcements to pick up the equipment and any remaining workers is they are still around."

The command seemed to confuse the man. "Y-you aren't gonna have us arrested?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Should I?"

The man swallowed hard. "No sir, Master Bryant. We'll be gone by sundown." He promised, then ran off to forward the message.

"What do you propose we do now?" Presea asked.

"We'll stay hidden and wait for everyone to leave. If this person who hired them returns every night, we will no doubt be given the…opportunity to meet him."

Presea nodded. "A good plan." She agreed. So far what most worried Presea was the obvious concealment. Who would go through all the trouble of having exspheres mined for them, yet hide his identity? Even exsphere brokers, like the late Vharley, didn't bother to keep it a secret. The more that knew, the more buyers they had. Whatever the man needed the exspheres for…it was not for a righteous purpose.

Gauracchia Forest 

Lloyd and Colette had yet to find the former ranch, and the half-angel was beginning to think they were lost. "Oh man, maybe I should've gone right instead." He berated himself.

"Well, it's not too far back. We can still make it before nightfall." Colette suggested.

"Yeah, I guess we'll have to." Lloyd turned around with her, when he suddenly felt a presence behind him. Spinning around, he came face to face with a monstrous beetle as it stomped out of the foliage. It had a large two-sectioned black shell and a small head. Six skinny legs supported it, but two large mandibles clattered loudly in front. "Colette! Look out!" Scooping her up, Lloyd jumped out of the way before the beetle jumped up and squashed the land where they had just been. Landing off to the side, Lloyd unsheathed his swords and glared at the creature. "You wanna tussle?"

Colette giggled as she brought up her chakrams. "You sound like Zelos."  
"Hey, don't insult me!" Lloyd ran forward, but for some reason felt horribly sluggish. "You picked the wrong guy to mess with!" Slashing with both his swords, a loud clink was heard as they bounced harmlessly off the monster's hard shell. "What the…?"

The beetle counterattacked and rammed into Lloyd, scooping him up and sending him flying back with its antlers. Everything happened so fast and Lloyd couldn't focus to land on his feet. Crashing into a tree, he slumped to the ground.

"Lloyd!" Colette called out her wings and flew into the air above Lloyd. "I'll show you for messing with my friend!" She threw one ring and then the other, making deep gashes in the exoskeleton, but nothing more. "It's too thick of armor!" Seeing Lloyd was still dazed, Colette caught her weapons on the rebound and placed them back on their hips. "Then it'll have to be magic!"

Cupping her hands in front of her, the angel-girl tapped into powers she hadn't used in a long time and when she opened her eyes again, they flashed white. "Oh Holy One, cast thy purifying light upon this corrupt soul. Light of Judgment!" Out of the sky, large columns of pure white light fell down upon the beetle, cracking through its black armor and superheating the body inside. When the heavenly rain ceased, only pieces of black shell and steaming green goo remained.

Satisfied that it was no longer a threat, Colette flew down and landed next to Lloyd, just as he got to his feet. "Are you okay!?" She exclaimed worriedly.

Rubbing the back of his head, he moaned. "Yeah, but I wonder what went wrong? I couldn't react fast enough to avoid the attack."

Colette saw the space in his key crest and gasped. "Lloyd! Your cruxis crystal!" She pointed to the back of his hand.

Frowning, Lloyd pulled his arm down and gasped when he saw the sphere missing. "What? When did that happen!?"

"It was that kid! I thought something was fishy with him!" She accused.

"You think a little kid like that would take the risk of stealing from me?" Lloyd wondered in disbelief as he got to his feet.

"When else could it have been taken off?" She placed her hands on her hips. Then, behind Lloyd, Colette saw the same boy from before watching them from the bushes. "There he is!" She flew into the air and after the kid as he gasped and disappeared into the foliage.

"Colette wait!" Lloyd didn't trust his flying enough to take off through a thick forest and instead followed on foot. _Why would a child steal a cruxis crystal? He probably doesn't know what he really has and thinks it's just an exsphere._ He concluded.

Running into a clearing, Colette saw she had the boy cornered against a tall rock face that blocked his path. "Hand over what you stole and we'll let you go!" She demanded.

Lloyd walked up underneath her and frowned. "Where are your parents? Are you alone out here?"

The boy glared at his opposition. "I don't have parents and I don't have your stupid gem!" He spat back angrily. "So take this!" He hit a spot in the rock wall and from underneath Lloyd, a column of electricity activated and flew up to encircle both him and Colette above.

Gasping, Colette tried attacking the barrier by spinning and releasing her weapons, but the six pillars of voltage that surrounded them shot static back at the angel as her chakrams bounced harmlessly off. The deadly lightning struck Colette and she cried out as her weapons circled around and opened up wounds in her left arm and right side.

"Colette!" Lloyd caught her as she fell to the ground and moaned in pain. Gritting his teeth, he shot his head up and glared at the boy. "What do you think you're doing!? Let us out of here now!" He demanded.

Colette had burns on various parts of her body, but already those were beginning to heal. Her other wounds would need tending to though. For now, she remained conscious but incapacitated in Lloyd's arms.

"Silence heathen!" An older voice commanded. From the trees to the side dropped a new figure. This man was human and his piercing amber eyes were partially covered by his scrappy brown hair. The locks themselves were streaked with beautiful silver strands. He held a single double-edged sword that had a green exsphere on the end of the hilt. The handle was silver and engraved with ancient looking writing. He wore a dark green no-sleeve shirt and black pants. "I knew you two were trouble when I saw your cruxis crystal!"

"My cruxis crystal?" Lloyd echoed in shock. "Give it back and let us go!"

"Or what angel-boy? You'll summon Lord Yggdrasill on me?" The man taunted. "I hope you like our little surprise. It's something I picked up from the desian ranch."

"You know about Yggdrasill?" Lloyd put Colette carefully down on the ground and slowly approached the edge of the force field. Lowering his head, he met the older man's gaze fiercely. "Then you gotta know we're the good guys! That's Colette and I'm Lloyd! Now give me back what's mine and we'll leave you be! We've got no business with you!"

"Why should I believe you? Only the angels of cruxis use these spheres and rumor has it the Chosen has lost her soul!"

Frowning, Lloyd shook his head. "You got it all wrong! Wherever you're getting your information, it's way out of date! Mithos Yggdrasill is dead!"

"Blasphemy! How dare you speak ill of the hero from the Ancient War by relating his name to that demon!" The man shouted back. "I think this conversation is over!" Walking over to the projector, half covered in leaves, that created the barrier, the man flipped a switch on the flat around device and he grinned at his prisoner. "Good night."

"No wait!" Lloyd attempted, but more electricity lanced out from each of the pillars and he screamed in pain. His cry was joined by Colette's before both passed out onto the floor.

With the forest quite once more, the boy who'd lured them over walked up to his leader. "What do we do with them now?"

"Call the others and carry them back to the hideout. We need to find out what Cruxis wants with this forest and maybe what's going on in the real world." The man commanded. _He may think he can fool me, but those from Mizuho are not so easily tricked._

_Mizuho_

Sheena had Zelos brought to the chief's house where Igaguri immediately sent for the village healer. Various gels worked to stop the bleeding before they were wrapped in bandages, but the warrior had already lost a lot of blood making his way through Gauracchia Forest in order to make it to Mizuho. Sheena remained by his side the entire time and Igaguri could see the worry reflecting in the eyes of the young woman that he'd seen grow up since infancy.

During his fitful sleep, Zelos spoke of getting the exspheres to Mizuho and helping Lloyd in his quest. Sheena bent forward and checked his clenched hand, finding a wing pack hidden within. Her eyes went wide when she went outside the village and activated the pack. A huge pile appeared before her of blue expsheres that had previously been used to operate the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge. "There are…so many." She spoke in awe. _He risked his life to see to it these were destroyed. _Her heart ached at the sacrifice. _Zelos…please be okay._

Orochi came up to Sheena's side and looked evenly at the pile. "What shall we do with them all?"

Narrowing her eyes, Sheena withdrew her garnet and aquamarine stones out of her pockets and held them up in the air. "Efreet! Destroy the exspheres with your mighty flame! Undine! Create a water barrier to protect the village!"

Moments passed and when nothing happened, the guardian user frowned and brought the magical gems down to look at them in confusion. "What?" She brought out her sardonyx holding Volt's power and attempted to summon him. "Volt! Destroy the expsheres! Your mistress commands you!"

Again nothing.

"I don't understand it!" Sheena exclaimed in frustration. Her heart raced in fear and she had to force her hands not to shake. Even after forming her pact with Volt, she had been reluctant to call upon any of the spirits' power for anything. Now when she did, they refused to help. The stones that had been granted to her upon her making of the pact ceased to glow and remained dormant in her hands. _Have they…lost their faith in me?_ But that didn't make any sense because unlike Mithos, who'd broken his vow, Sheena kept hers and saved both Tethe'alla _and_ Sylvarant. So then what was going on now?

From the village entrance, Chief Igaguri held up an ofuda as he approached. "Perhaps you can use this?"

Sheena's expression brightened and she gratefully took the summoning tool with a bow. "Thank you, Grandfather."

"That Summon Guardian is special." Igaguri explained. "It can be used more than once and only the first time does it require an ofuda."

Frowning, Sheena observed the spell written on the summoning paper. "Carbuncle?" She read with a tilt of her head.

Smiling, Igaguri clasped his hands behind him. "I heard what happened to Corrine and although there will be no replacing her…"

"I understand." Sheena closed her eyes with a smile and bowed again, this time far lower. "Thank you." Turning around, Sheena looked at the exspheres determinably. "Zelos came here in hopes of freeing the tortured souls within these monstrosities and that's what I'm going to do!" She held the ofuda up. "Carbuncle! Come forth!"

The paper lit up and disappeared, but in its place, a sea blue creature floated above Sheena's head. It looked like an overgrown mouse with a large squirrel-like tail. In its forehead was a six-sided ruby crystal. It was about three feet long and two and a half feet high. Its dark blue eyes were mysterious yet tame.

"Carbuncle! Destroy the exspheres once and for all!"

Carbuncle made a happy shrill and spun once, lowering its head to take aim at the pile. Mana flowed into the crystal from all around. Lighting up, a red colored beam shot out at the exspheres making them explode. Sheena raised her hands to protect herself, but gasped when a red-hued shield erected not only around the three present, but also around the nearby village. "A barrier?" Sheena breathed.

Looking up, thousands of streaks flew up like shooting stars out of the glass orbs and filled the sky with white light. In the tails of the fleeing energy, Sheena could barely make out the translucent figures of the victims now finding freedom from their cruel fate. The sight brought tears to Sheena's eyes. "May the Goddess Martel guide you safely to the gates of heaven." The spirits smiled and disappeared into the sky.

When the smoke cleared, everything – including the grass – was left unscathed, only the expsheres having been destroyed. Carbuncle landed before Sheena and cocked its head adorably as if waiting for confirmation that it'd done a good job.

Sheena giggled and knelt down, scratching the mystical creature behind its ears. "You did a good job, Carbuncle."

"I like you, Sheena. You're a nice human." Carbuncle said as it purred. Its voice sounded female.

The summoner frowned. "Have you known a bad human?"

Carbuncle shivered at the memory. "He was an evil man and scared me and..."

Sheena picked up the creature and held her close. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of you." She stroked its head and watched it calm down. _Who could treat something so small cruelly enough to make it react this way?_ She wondered in worry.

_Iselia_

Phaidra turned the flat disk in her hands and observed it closely. "This artifact is amazingly carved out of sacred wood, which usually is impossible for anyone to carry, even for those with exspheres." She tilted it on its side and pointed to the archaic writing engraved on the edge for both dwarves to see. "The angelic writing engraved on the edge here makes it as light as normal wood – cedar or redwood – but it survives the ages of time like only sacred wood can." The priestess explained.

"What about the statues?" Dirk asked.

"These are the remains from a temple once used as a seal, much like the seals the Chosen breaks during their journey of regeneration." The aged woman replied.

"What you discovered has been hidden from the pages of history for centuries!" Frank said excitedly.

"Not so fast." Phaidra said with caution. "The books retrieved describe a summon spirit called Omega. Not much is said, but it leaves room for question."

"Omega?" Altessa frowned. "I've never heard of _that_ summon spirit. What element does it represent?"

"Well, on this pendant, is also the angelic symbol for death." Phaidra replied. "All of the summoning spirits are named based on their element. In the angelic language, Sylph would mean wind and Luna means light. Her counterpart, Aska, literally translated means Sun."

"So Omega, with the angelic symbol on the statues and the pendant means…" Dirk caught on.

Phaidra nodded. "Yes. Death." She confirmed. "Going back into that cave could be dangerous. Let us research my books here and see if we can come up with anything more pertaining to this Omega."

Both dwarves nodded and agreed with the course of action. More information needed to be gathered even though, what they knew up to this point, was anything but good news.

_Mizuho_

Zelos began to wake just about the time Sheena walked back into the room where he was resting, and she quickly knelt down besides him. Carbuncle quietly sat next to her mistress' feet. The warrior's gorgeous eyes opened first and looked around, not quite remembering where he was. "W-where?" His gaze finally fell upon Sheena and his frown deepened. "Sheena? W-what are you doing in my mansion?"

Sheena frowned back. "Um…"

"Did we…do something last night?" He asked in all seriousness. A pain in the back of his head made him wince and he tried to sit up. "Oooh my head." He moaned.

"Careful." Sheena helped him into a sitting position.

Looking down at his bandaged wounds, Zelos raised an eyebrow at Sheena and smirked pervertidly. "Damn Sheena…I didn't know you were into _that_ kind of thing. I'm amazed I survived. But I guess it's because you were so amazed by my…"

As he continued to talk, Sheena's fists balled up tighter and tighter and she had to remind herself that he was injured and delusional to restrain from beating the crap out of him and injuring him further. Veins literally popping out of her forehead, she shouted to interrupt him, "How could you think of a thing like_ that_ at a time like this!?"

Zelos leaned away in fear of the girl's wrath, having felt it so many times before.

Standing up, Sheena huffed out of the room, needing time to cool off. "I can't _believe _I was actually worried for you!"

Looking down at the blue creature remaining in the room, Zelos cocked his head in confusion at the same time Carbuncle did and the diminutive spirit made a mew sound, feeling sorry for the injured youth. "Yeah, you said it." Zelos translated the sound as pity and sat back against the pillows. "I guess only in my dreams do I get with her, huh?"

_Derris-Kharlan_

Back in the deserted city of angels, Welgaia, Kratos dispatched of the last cruxis crystals and sighed. The crystals, though dormant, could cause an infinite amount of trouble when placed in the wrong hands and it was one person's hands in particular Kratos wanted to keep them away from. In the communication room, Kratos stood silent for a moment, feeling anxious yet paranoid about his next moves.

The man he sought after would no doubt be in hiding, or worse, already causing trouble within the new world. Kratos knew some of what he was up to, but there was so much more he hadn't pieced together, which would explain his frustration and anger.

Sighing, Kratos forced the illogical feelings out of his mind. "I suppose now the most logical thing to do is contact Yuan. Lloyd will no doubt be easy for the Renegades to track down and I will finally be able to finish what I started with…"

"Kratos. Kratos. Kratos. Your way of thinking and reasoning have changed little since the days of old haven't they?" A taunting voice accused the angel.

Wings freezing in mid wave, Kratos looked around suspiciously. "_You_…where are you hiding!" He demanded.

The voice being projected anonymously through the communication device before the angel, would be impossible to track. "But where would the fun be if I told you that? I have so much more to do before your character comes into play."

"If you're after the cruxis crystals here you can forget it. I've already disposed of them." Kratos tried to calm down and crossed his arms defiantly.

"Cruxis crystals? Who would want _those_ weak things? I have something far more powerful on my side than the pathetic experiment from that _delusional_ Mithos." The voice responded.

"Delusional? That sounds more like you and your ways." The angel countered. "What are you after then?"

"Definitely not anything to do with Derris-Kharlan…well, not _yet._ You did exactly as I expected you to though, Kratos, and now since you are effectively out of the way, I can deal with your annoying son before he becomes a thorn in my side like you so eloquently were."

"Lloyd!? Leave him out of this!" Kratos shouted.

The voice laughed and reveled in the torture. "What are you going to do about it locked away on that forsaken piece of rock?"

Kratos ignored the maniacal laughter and slammed a palm down on the button to call Yuan. "Yuan! It's Kratos!"

"You think _he_ can save him?" The voice laughed more.

Yuan's communication side clicked on and his friend spoke with a concerned voice as his miniature form projected in front of the angel. "Kratos? What's wrong?"

"Find Lloyd and take him to your base now! He's in grave danger!" Kratos emphasized. "When he's safely with you contact me and he will be able to bring me back."

Yuan nodded. "I understand my friend. You can count on it. Your son will not be harmed." Yuan's image winked out and Kratos took a moment to calm his unsteady nerves. His wings behind him still fluttered with agitation.

"He will not make it in time, Kratos. You made the mistake of leaving him alone and now he will befall a fitting death."

Kratos clenched a fist and slammed it down into a random computer off to the side. Sparks flew and lived circuits danced with untamed electricity as the metal covering was broken inwards. Kratos pulled back his fist and cursed himself for being pulled into by such a ploy. _Lloyd…Watch your back._


	7. City of Lost Children

Author's Note: I would like to thank those who have reviewed. Yes, many of you are shocked that there are so few people reading my story, but the ones that do are enthusiastic and satisfied with my writing. That's all I really need. I'll just think of this story as a diamond in the rough. Another hidden ToS story that few know about is "Broken Bonds" by bbqbert. Check it out!

Oh and one of you ask how I wrote these chapters so fast and so long? Well, in reality, whatever I post is actually half of what I actually have written. So by the time you read this, I'll have already finished writing chapter 14. It makes it so I know I can go back and edit any inconsistencies before they get to you! So enjoy…cause I still have a long way to go!

City of Lost Children

_Dwarven Vow #13: Hold a true friend with both your hands._

Somewhere in Gauracchia Forest 

Lloyd awoke with the worse headache he'd ever felt…since the "Kendama Incident" anyway. He remembered Zelos, Sheena and himself playing with Genis' Kendama during their wild adventure earlier, but in truth the sword fighter had attempted the complicated weapon once before. He ended up not only tangling up himself with the string, but also somehow managed to smack himself in the head countless times.

Lloyd's heart skipped a beat when he couldn't find Colette nearby, but relaxed as he caught sight of her coming to behind him. Her burns were completely gone, thankfully, and the tears in her clothes revealed mere scars from her chakrams wounds. Unfortunately he noticed both her weapons and his swords had been confiscated. On top of that, he was still without his mother's cruxis crystal. _Damn it, I can't really think of a way for this to look any worse._

"L-Lloyd? Where are we?" Colette asked, pushing up off the ground.

Sighing, Lloyd stood up and tested the metal bars keeping them trapped. "I'm not sure, but chances are our humble hosts will be wanting to know about our _glorious_ leader, Lord Yggdrasill…" Lloyd spoke with a roll of his eyes.

"So, you admit you are indeed an Angel of Cruxis." Their captor strode into the room and walked up to the bars.

Lloyd glared at him and grit his teeth to restrain himself. "You _obviously_ haven't heard sarcasm before." He ground.

The man crossed his arms in an attempt to appear intimidating. The cell they were in reminded Lloyd of the dungeon in which Governor-General Dorr kept his wife, Clara, imprisoned.

Colette stood by Lloyd's side and looked earnestly at the man. "Please, you must believe us. Lord Mithos Yggdrasill _is_ dead! We saw it with our own eyes!"

Narrowing his eyes, he glared at the angel-girl. "Again you desecrate his name. Does your shame know no bounds?"

"I know this may be hard for you to accept." Lloyd said slowly and precisely. "But Mithos the Hero and Lord Yggdrasill – leader of Cruxis and the desians – _is_ the same person!"

"How can that be when Mithos sacrificed himself to end the Ancient War!?" The man countered.

"I don't know!" Lloyd replied just as loudly. "There's a lot we didn't find out before his passing but the point is he _did die_! Cruxis is no more!" He persisted.

The man was about to retort when the entire building they were in shook with an earthquake. "Another one!?" The man exclaimed.

From the other door in the room, another boy, this one maybe thirteen, came in out of breath. "Kamai! We're being attacked by angels!"

"What!?" Spinning towards Lloyd, the man snarled. "It seems your fellow blasphemers have come to rescue you." Running to the boy the man called Kamai took off out the door, followed by the messenger.

"Lloyd?" Colette questioned worriedly when they were alone.

Trying to figure something out, Lloyd turned to his friend. His eyes quickly caught sight of Colette's own cruxis crystal still attached to her neck. _Of course! Remiel fused the cruxis crystal with Colette when she accepted the oracle! That Kamai guy can't take it off!_ "Colette!" He said suddenly, startling the girl. "Do you think you can bend the bars and get us out of here?" He hated asking so bluntly because he knew she had always felt uncomfortable with her angel characteristics. First it was her lack of feeling, which thankfully she got back later, then it was her lack of speech, and finally her body crystallizing because of the rejection of the cruxis crystal itself. But the point was her strength could free them now.

"I…I can try." She replied unsurely. Placing her hands on the bars, Colette closed her eyes and pulled the bars apart. With a groan, the metal bent enough for both to get through.

"Colette! You did it! All right!" Lloyd cheered.

Colette smiled and felt her heart calm down. "Yeah, I guess I did." Both stepped through and looked back and forth between the two doors. "Which way do we go now?"

"Well, we gotta find my crystal and our weapons first. We'll have to avoid anyone until then." Lloyd explained. Pointing to the door Kamai had walked in, Lloyd led them out of the room and down the hall. The building seemed a little run down and the grated floor was rusted in some places. On each side of the hallway were three doors and one larger door at the end. The corridor split into two ways on either side of the last door.

"Which one do we try first?" Colette asked.

The entire floor shook with another jolt and one of the doors opened to reveal a little boy maybe four years old at most.

Lloyd frowned. "What's a kid doing here?"

Colette knelt before the boy and asked, "What are you doing here little one? Are you lost?"

The boy shook his head. "Big Brother takes care of us and lets us live here for free." He said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Us?" She repeated. The other doors slowly opened and five to seven children appeared from each one. "Is this…an orphanage?"

The boy in front of her ran to join the others. "Big Brother calls this a haven for half-elves."

Lloyd gasped. "These are all children abandoned by their parents for being half-elves?" In truth, some of the mothers and fathers might've been killed for their forbidden love, but Lloyd didn't bother to mention that.

"How horrible…" Colette stood up. Another shockwave shook and some of the children began to cry. "We have to do something Lloyd!"

"Is there someone where you kids can hide? A basement maybe?" Lloyd wondered. The children nodded. "Okay, Colette take them downstairs and make sure they're out of harm's way. I'll find our weapons. We'll meet back here and look for that Kamai." Knowing the kind of operation he was trying to run, Lloyd felt the need to make sure he was all right, despite what _he_ thought of them. What could cause an entire building to shake anyway?

"Okay kids, this way." Colette took them down the stairs to the right of the large door and gave Lloyd one last smile before heading down.

_Mizuho_

Feeling bad for Zelos, Carbuncle had taken it upon herself to get Sheena and bring her back. The warrior had been relieved to hear the exspheres had been destroyed, but the level of relief was peculiar and the little guardian knew there was more he had yet to say.

"I don't care Carbuncle!" Sheena shouted, looking the other way. She'd come to the edge of the village like she always did when she needed to cool off. Now her spirit guardian was trying to convince her to go back and talk with the guy that upset her in the first place. "No way! That jerk has nothing on his mind other than what dimensions I am!" She growled in frustration. "Nothing's change during this whole time! Nothing!"

"Sheena!" Carbuncle tried again, not sure the ninja even knew she was there. "Zelos was really worried about you!" Sheena responded with a roll of her eyes. Good, at least she was listening. "He was afraid whatever attacked him could've come after you!"

Throwing a rock into the creek, the ninja sighed. "Sometimes I think I'm finally getting to know the real Zelos…then he goes and pulls pervert on me!" Sheena wondered if what she once felt for Lloyd was the same as what she felt for Zelos.

She hadn't known Lloyd too long, but unlike so many in Tethe'alla, he treated her like…well, like a regular person. Despite what she'd tried to do, he never seemed to lose faith in the goodness of her heart. It surprised her, especially being from Mizuho and growing used to ill treatment everywhere she went. She liked the way he made her feel, like she was…a real woman.

With Zelos, whom she'd known longer, having both grown up with constant contact with the Research Institute, many of the hardships he went through concerning his status of Chosen One, Sheena could understand, even if he didn't openly talk to her about it.

When her training got hard, or the experiments proved painful – mana augmentation and stuff – Zelos was always there to support her and tell her not to give up. Sheena's later discontent with the Chosen was probably due to jealousy from all the woman that hung around him. Whenever they were around…Sheena didn't exist to him.

But then there was that one mission when Zelos' timing couldn't have been sweeter…

_Mysterious cave, Tethe'alla – 10 years earlier…_

A nine-year-old Sheena held her back tightly against the cave wall and peeked around the corner for any signs of monsters. She had been sent by request of the king, and her village, to retrieve inhibitor ore for the Chosen's keycrest. The Chosen, Zelos, was too valuable to loose until the Day of Prophecy, so the Royals requested Mizuho to send one of their own to retrieve it.

Sheena's feelings for the Chosen were…complicated. Just the thought of all those snobby noble girls swooning over the Chosen made Sheena's stomach twist. How could he enjoy being surrounded by those airheads all day long? Sheena had never been very feminine; it just wasn't her style, only relying on herself and her own skills and abilities to get things done.

But for once, just once, the girl from Mizuho would like for Zelos to look at her like he did them…

Sheena was still training with the Igaguri style, but she gladly accepted the mission, wanting nothing more than to prove her worth not only to the village chief, but everyone else in the village too. _I can do this._ She thought confidently.

Dashing between rocks and ducking under stalactites, Sheena made her way deeper into the cave. The inhibitor ore would be in the darkest part of the cave, or so she was told. It was strange, Sheena thought, that the Church of Martel and the King of Tethe'alla would want to be discreet about the ore instead of getting it directly through the Lezareno Company. But it wasn't her place to question. Just to follow orders.

Keeping absolutely quiet and her breathing under control, Sheena activated her mana lamp, powered by two exspheres, and began searching for the necessary ore. She knew even the slightest sound could cause a cave in, so she treaded softly.

There weren't any monsters about that she could see, but that's not to say they weren't there. Many hours later, Sheena began to sweat from the heat and no matter how hard she breathed, it seemed oxygen eluded her. _The air must be thin this far underground._ She concluded. Ignoring her discomfort, Sheena squinted her eyes and tried harder to find the ore. The sooner she found it, the sooner she could leave.

Something discolored caught her eyes and she knelt to her left. "Gotchya." Putting the lamp down, she unhooked her laser and began extracting it. The laser was the size of her hand and as thin as the hilt of a sword. The laser was created by channeling energy through an exsphere into a narrow beam that could cut even the strongest rock.

Sheena was so concentrated with getting the ore, that she didn't hear the thin rock floor beneath her start to crack. It wasn't until she grabbed the ore and held it up that she exclaimed in a hushed voice, "All right! I got it!" She had just tucked it into her robe when she heard the final crack of the floor giving way. She dropped suddenly and barely caught the edge of the hole in time. The cavern revealed beneath was barely visible below and Sheena knew if she were to lose her grip…it would mean her life.

Sheena struggled to get back up top, but the edge of the hole was weak and could give out at any moment. Smiling grimly, she accepted her fate. "Heh, I guess Kuchinawa really will finish his training before I do." She laughed shortly. "I guess I owe him 20 gald." Closing her eyes, Sheena released her grip and prepared to meet hard rock.

Out of the darkness above, a hand caught her wrist and she gasped in shock. "Easy there. That would've been a nasty fall." A voice said.

Looking up in shock, Sheena's eyes went wide when she saw none other than Zelos Wilder, Chosen of Tethe'alla, smiling down at her. "C-Chosen!" She exclaimed.

"Hang on, I'll pull you up." He said as he hefted her out of the hole.

Sheena was beyond flushed and was glad it was too dark to see at the moment. Zelos held onto her a moment before, making sure she was safe and sound, before retrieving his own mana lamp. "W-what are you doing here, Chosen. It's dangerous. You should be back at the castle."

Zelos scoffed. "Please, just because the Pope wants to keep me around so he can sacrifice me later, he feels the need to imprison me within the walls of Meltokio." He came up to Sheena and said darkly. "I can handle my own whether the King, the Pope, or even you think I can't."

"B-but Chosen…I would never…!" Sheena protested. _He has the desire to prove himself…I can understand that._

"Sheena, we're pals, aren't we? Call me Zelos." He insisted.

Sheena's blush deepened. Even if he was only three years older, he looked so smooth and collected, even in a dark place like a cave. "Y-yes Chosen One Zelos." Zelos rolled his eyes and was about to retort when Sheena saw movement behind him. "Look out!" She shoved him out of the way and felt something smack hard into her, ramming her against the stonewall.

"Sheena!" Zelos exclaimed in worry. "You okay!?"

Sheena winced, but pulled out her cards. "Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

"Good over here." Unsheathing his sword, Zelos regarded his attacker. It looked like a canine, but was entirely made out of rock.

Sheena saw it too and doubted their success. "This is gonna be a tough battle."

"Nah, it'll be a piece of cake." Zelos winked. Running in, he slashed twice facing his opponent, then twice with his back turned, and jumped up to land the last hit. "Crap! It doesn't work!" He exclaimed when his sword made mere sparks against the stone skin of his attacker.

"The armor's too thick!" Sheena gritted her teeth.

"Let's combine attacks!" Zelos shouted.

"What!? Here?"

"Yeah! Come on!" He smiled at her from across the way. "Just like they taught us at the Research Institute!"

The monster roared and spun around, trying to cleave its prey with its round spiked tail.

Zelos raised his shielded arm. "Not the face!" He pleaded, deflecting the attack. The sheer force of the blow cost him precious inches as he was forced back.

Sheena barely avoided the swing and shouted. "Okay! Let's do it!" It wasn't like she had much of a choice. The only bad part about the idea was that neither tried combining powers before and the results were unknown. "Power Seal!" Throwing her card forward, Sheena hoped his plan worked…

"Sonic Thrust!" Zelos pulled his sword back and pushed forward towards the rock dog. The energy from Sheena's cards fused with Zelos' sword and the blade lit up even brighter. "Power Thrust!" The sword punched through the rock and the monster exploded into chucks of nothing but dirt and dust.

Sheena was in too much shock to say anything, but Zelos jumped up victoriously and exclaimed, "Man, I rule! I'm sooo cool!"

The trip back outside was thankfully uneventful and Sheena dutifully dug into her robe to give Zelos the ore. "Here ya go, Chosen. As agreed."

Zelos took it, but seemed sad.

Worried, Sheena asked, "What's the matter? You won didn't you?" The Chosen One's sword skills were renowned in all of Tethe'alla, even as such a young age, so Sheena knew she probably shouldn't have doubted his strength.

Looking regretfully at the ore in his hand, Zelos replied, "Half the time they want nothing to do with me and the rest of the time, they lock me up 'for me own good'. Now they don't even trust me to gather my own materials for _my_ key crest."

Sheena frowned. "How _were_ you able to perform that sword attack without a key crest?"

Zelos held up his fist with the exsphere attached to the back, though no key crest was visible. "I learned that you can attach an exsphere for a short amount of time without a key crest and be okay. Since this mission was to _build_ my key crest I made a decision and took the risk."

"But that's dangerous! You could get sick and…"

"What die?" He replied angrily. "Here's news for you, hunny, I _am_ gonna die no matter what I do. I'm the Chosen, as you so constantly remind me. I was born for the sole purpose of becoming a sacrifice!" Turning away, he began walking back towards Meltokio.

Sheena felt a lump in her throat and sniffled before she could stop herself. She knew about the Chosen and his journey of regeneration, but to put yourself at death's door without so much as a second thought? It just seemed so sad…

So sad yet so much like her own life…

With hatred and discrimination everywhere she went, Sheena often wondered about ending it all. If she did, she might earn more honor than she had now.

Hearing her muffled cry, Zelos stopped mid step and turned back around worriedly. "Hey don't cry. I'm sorry. The Great Zelos can't bear to see a lady cry."

Sheena raised a hand and knuckled her eyes to wipe away the tears before he came too close. "No, I'm sorry Chosen. It won't happen again."

"Wait, you're hurt." Zelos gently took her arm and looked at the elbow. There was a nasty gash surrounded by dark bruising. _It must've happened when she…_

"I-it's nothing." Sheena tried to pull away nervous.

But Zelos held on. "Hang on, I got some apple gel in my pocket." He held her elbow with one hand and dug into his pants with the other. Pulling out the packet, he gently applied it to her wound, while the ninja tried miserably to keep from blushing. "Hey uh, thanks for what you did back there. You saved my neck."

"Mm hmm." Sheena managed.

Pulling out a handkerchief he wrapped it around her elbow and smiled as he tied it off. That should hold you over until you get back to Meltokio or Mizuho to see a healer. I'd patch you up myself, but my healing arts still have a ways to go."

Sheena looked up and met his eyes for the first time since they exited the cave. They were so clear and beautiful, it was no wonder he was so popular amongst the girls. _This smile… it seems different than the one he always flashes at those other girls. This one seems more…carefree. _"T-thank you, Chosen."

"No more of that either. We're friends, aren't we?" Zelos had yet to release her elbow and she could feel the warmth of his skin. "Call me Zelos from now on."

Sheena nodded, too lightheaded to argue. "O-okay Zelos."

Sheena smiled at the memory, but shook her head. _The next day that pervert found a way into the ventilation shaft of the girl's shower room and peeked at me at Meltokio castle!_ It was also after that she went on that fateful journey to Volt's tower and…

"Sheena?" Carbuncle asked in worry.

"Hmm? Sorry, I must've spaced out." She covered up quickly.

"I've known some people, other pact makers, who felt they needed to hide their true self in order to survive." Carbuncle explained. "Maybe Zelos is just having trouble showing that side of him."

The guardian's words echoed Sheena's own thoughts, though she hated to admit it. "Okay fine, I'll talk to him!" Standing up, both made their way back to the chief's house.

Zelos was just pulling on his clothes over his bandages when Sheena walked in a caught him. Gasping, she twirled around and blushed bright red. "I-I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. Carbuncle merely snickered at her reaction.

Zelos laced the front ropes around the buttons on the other side of his shirt and smiled, blushing a little himself. "No, I'm the one who should be apologizing."

The response surprised Sheena and for a moment, she thought she'd heard wrong. "Huh?" She turned back around.

"I probably shouldn't have come here." He said sadly. "Whatever attacked me and killed those workers could've followed me. I just…"

"I know." She cut him off. "You were worried. You did the right thing. What was it that attacked you anyway?"

So Zelos sat down and explained everything and his suspicions about the creatures' intentions.

Sheena now understood the severity of the situation. Whatever purpose the creatures needed the exspheres for needed to be investigated and what's more, the one who sent them. From Zelos' description, they were the angels from Derris-Kharlan…but those were all taken care of…right? "Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing the angels in Derris-Kharlan the last time we were there."

"Exactly." Zelos nodded.

"So what do you want to do now?"

"First I need to give you this." Zelos handed Sheena the king's letter. "You're to be the envoy of peace to Iselia and get them to join the king's World Council." He instructed.

Raising an eyebrow, Sheena smirked. "And who's the bright one that signed me up for this?"

Zelos laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Look, it's for the good of my reputation, please?" When she seemed like she was going to hesitate, he added. "You've got a rheaird here, right? We'll just zoom over there, give the king's message, and head straight to the castle. Please?"

Rolling her eyes, Sheena looked down at Carbuncle as if she was still deciding just to make Zelos sweat it out, then nodded. "Fine, but you owe me."

"Anything you want."

Already knowing Kuchinawa would have to wait, Sheena faked a smile to hide her despair over leaving her friend to wait even longer. "Come on then! First one there gets to fly!" She bolted out the door, followed by Carbuncle, before Zelos could even react.

Smiling, Zelos gathered his weapons and remaining armor and took off after her.

Gauracchia Forest 

Lloyd checked each of the other rooms for any stragglers before coming across Kamai's office. As suspected, his swords and Colette's chakrams were there, but Lloyd still couldn't find his crystal. Cursing, he dashed out of the room and looked around for Colette.

The next shockwave made Lloyd loose his balance and he slammed hard into the wall. "Urg, I don't have time to wait! I gotta see what's going on!" Running back into the dungeon, Lloyd ran through the other door Kamai had taken and ran up the stairs behind leading to the roof.

There was some sunlight filtering through but the tallest trees still covered the three-story building. Lloyd immediately saw Kamai and the boy from before holding their own against a dozen angels. The first thing Lloyd noticed that was strange about the evolved half-elves were that they had larger black feathered wings and their appearance in general was more twisted and grotesque. Even the wings themselves seemed tattered. One of the attackers used their staff to summon fire and aimed it at Kamai.

The large fireball flew at the human, but he jumped to the side and avoided it, resulting in only collateral damage. Unfortunately, the building rocked harder than ever before and Lloyd doubted it could handle much more before it collapsed.

"Kamai!" The boy shouted in worry. He was armed with a small dagger, but had nothing but determination burning in his green eyes. "Are you alright!?"

Kamai recovered but when he turned to scold the boy, he saw another angel rushing in with their twin rapiers. "Kokoro! Behind you!"

CLING!

Lloyd intercepted with a cross of his swords, having ditched Colette's weapons near the access door.

The boy Kokoro, landed hard on the rooftop in shock. Kamai cursed and tried splitting his attention between fighting the two angels in front of him and his now freed prisoner.

Lloyd, without his cruxis crystal, could only hold the angel at bay and barely block the attacks it sent his way. He remembered that time when Regal had stayed behind to fight the angelic dolls and these were nothing like that. These were far worse.

"You even attack your own kind!?" Kamai asked in disgust. His sword flashed in a column of light as he landed a hit on his enemy. It shrieked and fell from the sky.

"For the last time, I'm not with Cruxis!" Lloyd shouted back.

Kokoro, not being attacked at the moment, turned to his leader. "Kamai! The children!"

"They're all safe downstairs! Colette's making sure of it!" Lloyd replied. Gritting his teeth he pressed forward and took the opportunity to kick the angel into another behind her.

"The Chosen!?" Kamai breathed in shock. Despite countless injuries he'd suffered defending the orphanage, he still looked strong and ready to fight.

"Yes, the Chosen! Now would someone without a soul be willing to save the lives of those she didn't even know!?" Lloyd asked the man who thought he knew everything.

Kamai scoffed and saw three more angels come down towards him. Glaring at them, he spun around and his sword lit up green with the power of the exsphere. "Demonic Circle!" He slammed the sword down and a wave of energy flew towards the one angel in front of him, while another green circle appeared beneath him, slamming the other two angels back as well. They flew and hit trees just off to the side of the roof. The angel he'd hit in front crumpled to the ground unmoving. "Kokoro! Get down there with the children!"

"But!" The boy protested.

"If our defenses here don't work, I'm going to need you to get the children out of here!" Kamai instructed. "Now go!"

Lloyd watched the boy clench his eyes, but do as told and abandoned the battle. The angel he'd kicked came back stronger than ever and Lloyd's reaction time was slowing down as his muscles tired. "You know, I could do a lot better if I had my crystal with me!" He shouted, knowing Kamai probably had it with him.

"Ha!" Kamai laughed. "And after we're done with the troops _you_ no doubt control, you'd probably turn on me next!" Kamai elbowed the spellcaster he'd picked out next and grabbed its staff. Spinning around, he threw the angel into the same tree its comrades had had the joy of meeting.

Lloyd jumped back and avoided a fireball aimed his way. "By the great Goddess Martel, what do I have to do so that you'll believe me!?"

Sweat pouring down his face, Kamai was finally beginning to tire and there were still plenty of enemies to go around. _If the children have any chance of surviving the day…_Digging into his pocket, Kamai took out Lloyd's precious crystal. "Fine! Catch!" He threw it over.

Lloyd caught it and placed it in his key crest. "Thanks!" He felt relief having it back with him.

Kamai scoffed and blocked one of the duel-wielding sword angels. "I'm getting too soft in my old age." He berated himself.

The same angel who'd tried to attack Lloyd the first time with fire tried again, but the half-angel was ready and smirked in anticipation. "All right! Right back at ya! Fierce Demon Fang!" Slamming his blade down, a wave of powerful energy hit the fireball as it flew in, smacking it back towards the caster.

The angel screeched and caught fire, then went flying back as Lloyd's energy assault it too, making it fall from the sky like a rock. Lloyd laughed like a little schoolboy and pointed his sword at his fallen enemy. "It just wasn't your day."

Another of the spellcasters had their eyes closed in concentration and with the time it took to cast, Lloyd knew they were in for a doozy. Off to the side, he saw Kamai was barely staying on his feet now and ran to his side as another magic attack, this one hurling rocks, came flying at him.

Raising his sword, Lloyd put up a green shield shouting, "Guardian!" The rocks hit it and bounced off, but with each assault, Lloyd felt the barrier weaken.

Kamai saw all this through one squinted eye and began to consider the idea that he'd been wrong about the boy. The pummeling rocks stopped and Lloyd took a few healthy needed breaths.

Before either could full recover, the other angel finished its chant and glowed black. "Those who oppose the Master must be destroyed." He said with a sneer. "Gravity Well!"

Acting quickly, Lloyd erected his shield again but it had already taken too much damage and collapsed. The immense force pulled Lloyd into the ground, along with Kamai, and both were caught in the merciless bubble. Lloyd hit his head repeatedly against the stone rooftop and found himself close to passing out. Kamai was already unconscious and the attack only succeeded in opening a wound on the side of his head. Blood trickled down from Kamai's injury but there was little Lloyd could do.

Through the darkness and waves of continuous pain, Lloyd began to hear a heavenly voice. It was a language he didn't understand, but the voice he did. "Colette?" He managed. On the other side of the gravitational dome, Lloyd could make out his angel friend, a pink aura building around her, growing in intensity as she continued to chant.

Floating above the ground, her wings sparkled behind her, Colette opened her eyes and shouted, "Thy faithful servant asketh for thy blessing. Honor us with the splendor of thy song. Holy song!" A shockwave of energy flew out in all directions. As it passed over Lloyd and Kamai, the dome vanished and the two were released from its powerful forces. The same shockwave slammed into the angels, throwing them back into the darkness and Gauracchia Forest shrieking. "Lloyd!" Colette flew over to his side as he struggled to get up. "Are you okay!?"

He looked weakly over at Kamai's body. "Check on him…I'm alive…" He assured.

She nodded and rolled the man onto his back. "He looks in pretty bad shape. We need to get him to a healer." She reported.

"Send these fools to the underworld in an icy coffin! Ice Tornado!" The last recovered angel shouted, casting the hailstorm on the three.

The wind around them picked all three up and lifted them into the air. Lloyd struggled to reach Colette as he was tossed around by the icy winds. Chunks of ice struck his extended arm and he recoiled it painfully. Another ice rock struck his side and then his back. He could barely see Colette use a shield of her own, but it was weakening fast.

They were thrown up above the canopy of Gauracchia Forest, branches and twigs cut the exhausted group up further, before the winds died down and they started to fall. Lloyd could feel the wind rushing up as he fell facing up, but was too weak to call out his wings. Above him, Colette fell just as weakly and he could only assume Kamai was somewhere below falling faster than either youth.

A bird's call reached Lloyd's ears and he thought he saw golden yellow feathers cross his vision before he landed on something soft. He heard two other thumps but couldn't bring himself to look around as sleep beckoned him. _This sound…Aska?_ Before he could find the answer, though, Lloyd finally closed his eyes and passed out.

Tower of Mana 

Raine and Genis made their way around the mountains to the Tower of Mana carefully and cautiously. Both half-elves kept their wits about them in case high increases of mana alerted them to the enemy's presence. The mana was even thicker at the tower's base and Raine had to swallow to keep from gagging. There was something different about this feeling than the mana the Great Viscus Tree gave off. This almost made her feel sick.

"Be careful." She warned out of habit. Right now, being careful was a given.

The two made it to the base of the tower and Genis had yet to sense anything close by. The congested mana they did feel was emanating all around them, not giving them any clues as to what was going on. "Should we go inside?"

Before his sister could answer, a weird metal clicking sound was heard and from the side of the tower came a six-foot tall creature matching the description from the man at Palmacosta. The metal claws were attachments artificially made to the fingers, connecting through the top of the hand to the wrist.

"It can't be!" Genis shook his head, stepping back.

Raine narrowed her eyes and held her staff in front of her. "The bone structure is definitely elven." The long slender legs and arms made it undeniable.

"Why!?" Genis demanded.

In response, the creature growled and bared its fangs and claws before jumping towards Genis. Caught off guard, the boy fell backwards and had to dash between the monsters legs to avoid being slashed.

"Light! Photon!" Raine raised her staff and attacked, buying her brother time to get away. When the creature raised its arms to ward off the light, Raine caught sight of something on the back of its hand. "An exsphere!" She gasped.

"Create a torrential vortex and engulf the evil spirits. Tidal wave!" Genis sun his kendama and a giant wave of water struck the monster and rammed him into the ground.

When he got back on his feet with no problem he smiled, almost amused. Bending its legs, it dashed at Genis and would've landed a hit had Raine not intercepted and blocked with her staff. "You want him? You've gonna have to go through me first." She ground and attacked with her staff.

Genis watched in horror as his sister started fending off the twisted elf. Her battle skills rivaled those of her healing arts, but should she get even one wound, one cut from those claws, she could become infected, just like that man before. "W-what spell do I use?" With Raine so close, he risked hitting her and it didn't seem the element water worked at all.

Clenching his teeth, Genis thought of Lloyd and fought down his fear. "Let's try fire then!" He spun his weapon again and shouted, "Raging Mist!"

The increasing mana beneath her was enough to warn Raine to jump away, but the creature was caught in the sea of flame and shrieked in pain. "Good work Genis!" Raine congratulated.

Her attention split, the elf jumped through the wall of fire and rammed Raine to the ground. Standing over her lying form, the monster smirked and jumped high into the air.

"Raine!" Genis exclaimed, running over.

In each of its hands, black energy disks formed and it threw them down one after another, sending a barrage at the recovering half-elf.

Raising her staff, Raine shouted, "Force Field!" The shield didn't last long and crumbled beneath the evil assault, leaving Raine to cry out as at least half of the remaining disks struck home, blasting her back.

"Raine!" Genis suddenly got mad, his hope in seeing the elves of Heimdall all right shattered, and attacked with his kendama like never before. He spun it and smacked the creature again and again, driving it back towards the entrance of the tower. Black blood splattered his face and clothes, showering the green grass with its taint, but he kept at it. The monster didn't even have time to counterattack in between blocks. "Fireball! Stone blast!" Genis shouted, needing no time to cast. His anger fueled his mana, made it stronger. Both attacks combined and he fired flamed chucks of rock, like flying meteorites at the retreating elf. "How _dare_ you hurt my sister!!"

The magic attack slammed the atrocity into the double doors and dust kicked up, hiding his form. "Hmph, all talk…no action…" He said coldly with narrowed eyes. Genis breathed heavily and waited a moment to see if there would be any retaliation, before running to his sister's aide. "Raine, hang on!"

While he ran, the creature, its outer skin severally burned, ran out and jumped up, slashing Genis across the back as it came down. Genis cried out as he felt the metal claws rip open skin and foreign mana invade his body. Falling to the ground, Genis couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so much pain.

The monster walked over and stood between the two injured halflings. It spoke and taunted its prey in the elven tongue, but Genis couldn't understand it. Behind the creature, though, he saw Raine force herself to her feet and silently start to chant a spell.

Sensing what spell it was, Genis summoned strength into his arms and legs and stood up. The action seemed to amuse the elf as it crossed its arms, expecting a last meaningless attempt from its "already defeated" prey. Mana gathered underneath Genis as he chanted the spell in a whisper. "Engulf this pathetic soul…ground dasher…"

When he saw his sister give the signal by raising her staff, he glared at the darkened pureblood and swung his kendama. "Prism Stars!"

Fireballs of pure light mana appeared from all angles assaulting and devastating the elf. Raine passed out half way through, but Genis kept at it. "I don't understand why you would do this! I don't!" He added the last of his strength to finish the spell and shouted, "WHY!!!?" The final blast erupted with a bright flash and Genis saw through unfocused vision, the mere husk left over fall dead to the ground. "Why…" Then he too fell down unconscious.

_Toize Valley Mine_

Presea and Regal stacked out the new mine until nightfall, when the supposed employer of Regal's former miners was said to make the switch. Regal observed his younger companion carefully, in case she got cold, but it appeared she either didn't feel the cold, or didn't find it a problem that had to be addressed.

Regal had to remember that although she looked ten, she was actually much older and therefore much wiser. The president of the Lezareno Company often wondered if Presea would've turned out like Alicia had Rodyle not stepped in. But he had to admit, her calculative nature reminded him of himself and was actually refreshing.

"Incoming presence. Non-human." She said in her usual even voice.

Regal ducked tighter against the rock and looked towards the mesa. The person in question wore a hooded black cloak that hid their every feature. They walked slowly and evenly, not even bothering to look around to see if others were watching or if they'd been followed.

"I believe it is time we find out what is really going on here." Regal stood up.

"Agreed." Presea pulled forward her axe and joined his side. Both walked right up behind the visitor and he had yet to acknowledge them. "For what purpose are you here?" Presea asked.

When the man ignored them and bent to pick up the bag of exspheres, Regal narrowed his eyes. "You are in violation of mining code 2436. This land is under my ownership and you have not been given…"

"Retrieve exspheres. Eliminate any opposition." The man said mechanically. Turning around, he outstretched his hand and fired a blast of energy straight at Regal before the other man could even react. Regal was blasted back and hit the rock face, slumping down warily on one knee.

"That voice…!" Presea immediately recognized the identity of the man and now knew why he wasn't human. Swinging around, she used her oversized axe to try and attack him, but only managed to drag the cloak off the man revealing blue hair and sparkling wings. "Yuan!"

The man looked coldly and emotionlessly at her, then repeated the same attack he had on Regal against her. The axe-wielder acted quickly and raised her weapon to deflect it, but was forced back by the strength behind the attack. By the time she recovered, Yuan was already flying in the sky and out of sight. "Destination by the angle of departure: unknown."

Grunting, Regal looked up as well. "So following him is out of the question." He summed up.

"Are you injured?" Presea asked with a furrowed brow.

The president shook his head. "No, let us return to my office where I can secure us passage to the Renegade base in Triet Desert. This reeks of trouble."

Presea nodded and replaced her weapon to her back. "Understood." Part of her felt guilty that she had not reacted fast enough to prevent harm to Regal, but she forced the feelings down and focused on their current situation. Feelings that clouded her judgment only resulted in weakness and Presea was anything but weak. _Logical solution: become faster and attack the enemy first. Performance increase 20, success rate increase: 78. Approved._ Next time, she would see to it no one close to her got hurt. No one.


	8. Somewhere I Belong

Somewhere I Belong

_"Dwarven Vow #12: Your feet will bring you back to where your heart is."_

_Off shore somewhere…_

Zelos and Sheena were flying over the ocean towards Iselia and so far, neither had said too much. The reason for their silence was that Carbuncle was mounted happily on Zelos' shoulder and back. The Chosen had yet to say anything to protest the action, since he did owe the little runt for Sheena coming back, but was quickly nearing the end of his tolerance.

Carbuncle looked toward the horizon and bounced happily. "I've never been flying before! This is so neat!" She exclaimed.

Gritting his teeth, Zelos turned to his backpacking friend. "Can't you like disappear or something? The other summon spirits weren't this annoying, minus Gnome maybe."

"Zelos!" Sheena berated.

Carbuncle raised her nose in the air and replied. "Cause I'm not a summon spirit. I'm a _guardian_." She corrected. "Besides, I like it up here!"

Sheena giggled when Zelos sighed in defeat. The rheaird they were in suddenly jumped forward then rocked from side to side. "Come on, come on!" She struggled with the controls.

"Hey, what's wrong up there?" Zelos asked nervously.

"The rheaird's running out of juice and I don't think we'll make it to shore." She replied grimly.

Standing up behind her, Zelos leaned forward to look at the controls. "What do you mean we're out of juice!? I thought if you had Volt, we'd be fine!" He exclaimed, madly pushing buttons.

"I haven't been able to summon Volt!" She shouted back, swatting his hands away. "Not quite touching everything! You're gonna make us crash!"

Just as she said that, they began to lose altitude. "This is why you never let a woman driiiiiiveee!"

Coughing up seawater as he crawled up on shore, Zelos growled in discomfort. "I _hate_ being right."

Sheena got on shore behind him and glared at him as she tried to ring out her battle garment. "Don't even get me started."

"Heh." Zelos stood up and began squeezing the water out of his precious hair. "Aw man! It's gonna take me weeks to recover the shine!" He whined.

Carbuncle, having made it to land first, shook her short fur to get it dry, spraying the upset warrior in the process. "I prefer flying to swimming any day!" She complained.

Zelos looked ready to ring Carbuncle's neck next, so the guardian spirit dashed behind Sheena. "Most people _would_ say that." He growled. Looking at Sheena, he crossed his arms. "So when were you gonna tell me you couldn't summon Volt?"

"It's not just Volt." Sheena looked sadly to the side. "I can't summon any of them."

That answer was more than Zelos expected and his eyes went wide. "What?"

Carbuncle came out from behind Sheena and bounced happily. "I can explain that one!"

"Well now that we're here," Sheena cut her off. "Let's build a fire before we get sick and dry off some. We're too far away from Meltokio, so we can walk to Iselia in the morning." She proposed.

"Fine with me." Zelos replied far lighter than Sheena expected.

_With the moonlight shining like it is with his hair damp and clinging to his face, he looks so…No! Snap out of it Sheena! Focus! _She pounded her head at the thought.It was going to be an…interesting night.

_Renegade Base: Triet Desert_

"Lloyd. Lloyd wake up!"

The boy Colette called to moaned and opened his eyes. "Colette?" He murmured. "That you?"

The blond girl nodded. "Yeah. We're at the Renegade base in Triet."

Sitting up, Lloyd looked around and recognized the room he'd woken up in once before. That was when Kratos had betrayed them and Colette lost her soul to the cruxis crystal. "How did we get here?"

"I don't really know." Colette responded sadly.

Lloyd thought back and remembered the soft feathers and bright golden yellow glow. "Aska…" He stared off into space at first, trying to remember as much as he could, before looking at Colette. "I remember hearing Aska's call. I think that's how we got here."

"And you would be correct." A voice said as the door opened. The man had slicked back black hair and a small goatee. "Don't worry. You aren't prisoners here. You're free to leave whenever you please." He said when they both tensed at his approach. "But might I have a word with you first?"

Lloyd and Colette exchanged looks but nodded easily afterwards. "Sure." Lloyd stood up.

Leading them down the hallways, the man introduced himself. "My name is Kiga (Kee-ga). I am the new second in command, under Yuan, of the Renegades." Then he remembered his initial statement. "We found you unconscious just outside our gates, Aska was seen leaving when we arrived."

"You remind me of Botta somewhat." Colette commented casually.

Without turning, Kiga replied, "Botta was…my older brother."

Lloyd's step faltered as he felt a twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save him but I…"

"No." Kiga turned around. "My brother strived for what you and your friends have accomplished. I could not ask for more. Cruxis is gone and I know my brother rests in peace." He gave the two a small smile before starting back down the hall.

"Where is Yuan, by the way?" Lloyd asked. Usually the angel was the first one they saw.

"He is out on other business." Kiga reported. "Your other…companion is just beyond these doors." He stopped and stood off to the side. "He was resilient to accept the information we gave him and requested to see you. I felt this needed to be taken care of before going to the central control room."

Lloyd nodded. "All right." Nodding to Colette, he stepped through with her.

Their previous captor, Kamai, sat on a similar bed as Lloyd's but looked tired and upset. When he saw Lloyd and Colette walk in, he looked away. "It seems I owe you an apology." He said in a low voice.

Lloyd furrowed his brow in confusion. "It's not your fault. I can understand where you're coming from too." He admitted.

Kamai scoffed. "To think the hero Mithos would turn out to be a half elf with nothing on his mind but to cause the people suffering."

Colette clasped her hands in front of her. "Mithos may have made some bad decisions, but he did have good intentions in the beginning!" She insisted. "He deserved the title of hero for what he accomplished!"

"Sacrificing hundreds, thousands of innocents in exchange for one life is never honorable!" Kamai disagreed with passion. "When one looses someone close to them, they do what they can to save them, to be with them, but they can't always be successful. You have to learn to move on."

"You speak as if you've experienced such pain." Lloyd said carefully.

"Perhaps, but the past is the past." Kamai ended the subject and for a moment, there was silence.

Colette played with her fingers, debating whether to ask before speaking up. "Kamai, what were all those children doing at the facility? Was it an orphanage?"

Kamai nodded. "That building used to be an energy plant, using a nearby river to create power. Once Tethe'alla began using exspheres, it was deemed obsolete and abandoned. All the equipment was removed except the main building, which was thought to be too expensive to destroy." He explained. "So many half-elves were either abandoned to the creatures of the forest or left parentless by those against the interracial relationships." He said with disgust.

"So you took them in and took care of them." Colette concluded. "That was a really nice thing to do." She smiled.

"What made you want to start such an organization?" Lloyd wondered. "Most Tethe'allans despise half-elves."

"My reasons are my own." Standing up, Kamai walked towards the door. "I thank you for saving the children, but I must take my leave now." He paused. "They won't last long without me." Then he exited and left.

Kiga soon entered and pointed to the retreating man. "Is everything all right?"

Lloyd sighed. "Yeah, let him go. If we need him later, we know where to find him." Taking a deep breath he looked to Kiga. "Okay, take us to the control room."

Kiga turned. "Right, this way."

Yuan had yet to return when Lloyd and Colette arrived at the control room. Kiga activated one of the communication devices and an image of Kratos appeared. "Lloyd?" He asked hastily.

His son gasped. "Dad?" He walked up to the projection. "What's going on?"

Upon seeing his son in one piece, Kratos visibly relaxed. His wings returned to a light flutter as he spoke in a much more calm and collected voice. "You're alright…good."

"Did you know about the attack?!" Lloyd asked, almost accusingly.

"Lloyd, calm down." Colette coaxed.

"Yes…and no. Use the Eternal Sword and I will explain in person." The angel instructed.

"…Alright."

Moments later, Kratos appeared before Lloyd and recalled his wings. "Wait, where is Yuan?" He questioned.

"Lord Yuan had business to deal with and said he would return. That was shortly after Lloyd and Colette's arrival." As ordered by Yuan, Kiga had contacted Kratos to tell him of his son's safe arrival. "He should be back with the next few hours."

"Then might I suggest you get some rest before then." Kratos looked down at his son.

"Sleep? Now!?" Lloyd exclaimed. "Angels attack out of nowhere, Aska saves me for Martel knows why, you have all the answers, and you want me to _sleep_!?"

Unnerved by the emotional child, Kratos crossed his arms. "Things will be much easier to explain with Yuan present…since it involves him as well."

The calm response only seemed to agitate Lloyd more and he clenched his hands into fists. Turning red in the face from frustration, he ended up turning around and marching back to his quarters.

As soon as he was gone, Kratos lowered his arms and sighed, closing his eyes. "Fifteen years and he hasn't changed a bit." The seventeen-year-old reminded Kratos of the three-year-old he would rock for hours before the infant went to sleep.

Colette giggled at the angel's reaction. "It's good to have you back, Kratos." The angel's eyes opened his shock, but the girl bowed and left to her own room.

Kratos stood there for a moment, stunned. "Back?" When the warrior returned to Derris-Kharlan, he hadn't thought his absence would make a difference. He was merely going where he was needed for a specific purpose. Did he actually…belong to the ragtag group of heroes? It was a vaguely familiar feeling that warmed him from the inside out…

_Lake Umacy, 20 years earlier…_

Kratos came down from the sky and landed in a tree overlooking the clear lake below. The human Lord Yggdrasill and Kvar desired sat near the water's edge, humming a tune to herself. Her name was Anna. Kratos had been on reconnaissance over this future host for a good while now. Normally, he would simply capture them and deliver them to the appropriate desian ranch. But this human mystified him and he found himself returning to this spot…just to watch her.

She hummed and played with her feet in the water from the rock she sat on, filling the afternoon sky with a soothing serenade that calmed the angel like never before. As he watched her, another creature approached from the surrounding forests.

With long white hair and a sparkling golden horn, the magical unicorn neighed softly so as not to startle the maiden and lowered its head as she continued to sing. Kratos was still with awe and dared not even breathe. Even his blue wings ceased their movement.

The human Anna continued her song for her new audience and patted the gentle creature on the head, soothing it more. Unicorns only approached maidens with purity in their hearts and those it deemed worthy. Could such a human exist in a world full of prejudice and discrimination?

Mithos had recently told Kratos about his plans to use the exspheres to turn the people of both worlds into the Age of Lifeless Beings. Kratos didn't support the idea, but didn't have a plan as to counter the angel-lord, and so continued to follow his orders until a suitable solution could be found. His faith in humanity to live as a whole with those different had long been lost, but this woman made him think differently.

As Kratos wondered about this, Anna ceased her song and the angels' wings drooped in disappointment. "You know, it's not very polite to spend so much time with someone and not introduce yourself." Anna said softly. Kratos froze, not believing she was talking to him, until she looked up and gazed directly at him with a smile. "Don't ya think?"

The unicorn looked up and upon seeing the maiden was not the only one there, ran off and disappeared back into the forest. Anna stood up and brushed off her skirt daintily before craning her neck and looked up at the tree Kratos was in, shading her eyes with the palm of her hand.

The angel himself was still unsure what to do. For all logical reasons, he should knock her out and take her to Cruxis. But…he couldn't. Something about the way she acted intrigued him. She seemed so happy with the simple life she had been given in Luin. She came to Lake Umacy almost on a daily basis and for the sole purpose of admiring its beauty. She held no hatred, no discontent with the circumstances of her existence, and no ambition for anything that wasn't good natured and beneficial for not only her, but others too.

"Fine, if you don't want to come down, I'll just have to come up to you instead!" Anna exclaimed, taking a step forward on the rock. Not watching where she was going, she slipped on some moss and cried out as she fell backwards into the water with a splash.

Kratos gasped and jumped into the air, acting before the thought to save her even entered his mind. He flew down and dove under the mirror flat surface. When he got to her, she didn't seem to be lacking the ability to swim, but the weight of her clothes pulled her down and made getting to the surface more difficult.

Wrapping one arm around her, Kratos tapped into his angelic strength and jetted through the water back to land. He had long recalled his wings and gently laid the woman down on the soft grass. She was breathing, so Kratos played off his initial fear and stood to the side, waiting for her to recover. He was soaked as much as she, though he knew the discomfort would be fleeting so it was of no concern. Already his outer coat had begun to dry in the bright sunshine while the woman coughed and shivered with the light spring breeze.

Grumbling to himself, he removed his coat without a word and draped it across Anna's shoulders. The woman gasped and looked up in shock, but when Kratos crossed his arms and looked away stubbornly, she pulled it closer and smiled. "I knew you were a good person. Thank you."

"Don't assume you know everything about that which you know nothing." He said darkly.

Still squeezing water out of her ankle length skirt, she replied with a false air of nobility. "Well then, why don't you tell me?" Tilting her head up, she looked disappointedly at him. "My name is Anna, in case that was something you _didn't_ know."

Scoffing, Kratos remained as stiff as ever and debated whether to respond back or not. "My name is Kratos and I don't see the need to explain myself to a _human_."

Frowning she stood up and looked crossly at him, putting her fists on her hips. "You may not have looked in the mirror lately, but take away the wings and you're just as human as the rest of us."

The comment surprised Kratos and he turned to glare at her as if insulted.

Anna continued when she seemed to start getting reactions from the person before her. "You can change your appearance on the outside, you could be an elf, a half-elf, or even a summon spirit for all I care, but what you did back there proved you have a good heart and Kratos...that's all I _need_ to know."

_Renegade Base: Triet_

Kratos smiled in memory at Anna's stance at that moment. She crossed her arms and tried to look intimidating with anger, but with her hair sticking to her face and water still dripping from her clothes, she only proved herself to be painfully adorable in the angel's eyes.

It was strange…that before that moment, Kratos had completely forgotten that he too was human at one time. After 1,000 years of living in Derris-Kharlan, of seeing the people from both Tethe'alla and Sylvarant as mere bugs on a grand scale, it took the…insightful reproach of a human female to open his eyes and see the wrong in Mithos' ideals.

Kratos had long begun to feel discontent with Mithos' continuing manipulation of both worlds, for Martel's sake or not, and began questioning everything he once believed in after that day. It was not the first of their encounters and it would not be their last. Anna's nature gave Kratos the desire to find an alternative to Mithos' method: a way for mana depletion to stop now, not later – as Mithos promised.

'As soon as we find a suitable match for Martel, I will germinate the great seed and reunite both worlds once more.' The angel lord had said. But even though his vow to the summon spirits had been similar, even they felt discouraged with their master and wished for the pact to be broken. But he had been smart…the wording of the pact keeping them under his control to serve as mana links between the two worlds.

Kratos would begin his investigation into the Eternal Sword around that time and Anna insisted on coming with him, not caring about the details of what Kratos strove for, only that she wanted to help in any way possible. When Kvar did not receive his host as requested, he sent out his desian underlings to hunt her down. Over the time they ran from Cruxis together, no matter how many times Kratos wished to hide Anna somewhere, she would not leave his side. He belonged with her and she with him.

What Kratos felt now certainly wasn't the same as what he'd felt for Anna back then, but…the feeling of belonging was the same and Kratos would treasure it. The man that desired to disrupt that and harm his family and friends had another thing coming. _You will not get away with trying to harm my son. I will see to it you and your abomination are vanquished from this plane…forever._

_Camp out near Iselia_

"Gosh I wish I'd eaten before leaving Mizuho! My stomach's killing me!" Sheena complained. Sighing she scooted closer to the fire as Carbuncle sat in her lap. "Well, no use complaining about it now…"

"Isn't that just what you did?" Zelos smirked from next to her.

Sheena growled at him, but pouted none-the-less. "I'm surprised _you_ haven't started to complain. You usually ate more than any of us." She accused.

"I've got these rolls left over from the party at Meltokio. I've been eating these all night." He held up the small piece of bread.

Sheena gaped at him and stole the roll away. "You had this the entire time and you didn't say anything!?" She took an angry bite out of it and looked away.

"Do you two always fight like this?" Carbuncle craned her neck to look up at her mistress.

"Yes/No!"

Both looked at each other and Sheena only crossed her arms when Zelos laughed. "We've known each other for a long time and something about me always ticks her off."

"No matter what everyone else thinks of you, I know you to be a selfish pervert!" She said hotly.

"Weren't you guys wondering about the summon spirits, Sheena?" Carbuncle asked carefully, feeling that if the tension got any thicker, fists would fly next instead of words.

Sheena gasped and looked down at her guardian. "That's right! Sorry Carbuncle…what's going on?"

"Yeah, why'd Sheena crash the rheaird?" Zelos got in the last insult and finally looked at the guardian.

"Well, the pact maker states a vow with which the power of the summon spirits abides by until either the pact maker dies or the pact maker breaks their vow, right?"

"Well yeah, but we germinated the Great Seed and combined both Tethe'alla and Sylvarant. That's what I swore to do." Sheena said in confusion.

"Right, and as soon as you kept your end of the bargain, the summon spirits were no longer under your control." Carbuncle said as a matter of fact.

"Wait, I don't get it. It's because she did as promised that they left her?" Zelos asked.

"Kind of." Carbuncle hopped out of Sheena's lap so she could look at both present. "The summon spirit lends their power to the pact maker until they complete their vow, or one of the other two conditions are met. You used their power to accomplish what you set out to do, so the deal was completed."

"So, they returned to their seals?" Sheena wondered.

Carbuncle shook her head. "The seals created to keep both worlds together, the mana links, were something created by Mithos. The summon spirits return to the one who created the pact with the King of Summon Spirits: Origin. If the same pact maker also makes the pact with Origin, whose pact can only be broken by death and by no other means, then they retain the power to summon."

Understanding dawned on both Zelos and Sheena and they looked at each other in shock before both shouted, "Lloyd!"

_Renegade Base: Triet Desert_

"Lord Yuan! You've come back!" Kiga exclaimed.

Yuan walked into his office and the voice of his commander made him look up surprised. He looked ragged and exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days. "Kiga…"

Getting worried, Kiga walked over to Yuan. "Lord Yuan, are you alright?"

Yuan forced a smile and nodded. "Yes, of course, why do you ask?" In truth his head was killing him and his entire mana felt drained. He walked warily over to his desk and sat down

Sensing his leader wouldn't say what was wrong with him even if asked, Kiga turned to other business. "I contacted Lord Kratos as ordered, sir. The boy and the former Chosen have rested and are waiting to convene with you as planned." He reported.

"Kratos?" Yuan looked up as if that had been the first time he'd heard the name. "Oh yes, of course. I'll be right there. I simply need to recover from…my long flight back."

"I understand. I'll tell them of your arrival." Kiga bowed and left the room.

Yuan sighed when the man left and laid back in his chair. So many things were eluding him and he barely recollected what he did each day. He did remember hearing from Kratos at Derris-Kharlan and the announcement from Kiga that Lloyd and Colette were practically delivered to them by the summon spirit Aska, but between then and now was a blur.

Standing up, he walked into the adjacent room that held the heroes and his long time friend. He stood as straight as he could, so as not to give away his present condition, and smiled. "Kratos, it's been too long."

"I wish it could be on better terms, Yuan. But I fear recent events has led me to believe that Zaichar (Zai-Kar) has finally decided to make his move." Kratos noticed Yuan's less than straight posture and his mana signature wavered, like it would snuff out at any moment. "Are you well?" He frowned.

"Yes, just very busy lately." Yuan projected his mana so it remained steady and strong until his friend's suspicious gaze faded and he turned to his son.

"Lloyd, I believe you're going to need to sit down for this one. It may take some time to explain." Kratos said. Lloyd, for once, did as told and he and Colette sat down on one of the couches. "Much about the Ancient Kharlan War was falsified by Mithos. What is true is that two kingdoms went to war and after 4,000 years the reason why the war was started was all but lost."

Yuan stepped up. "Towards the end is when Mithos and Martel were born and later exiled from Heimdall." At the mention of Martel's name, Yuan's eyes flashed with sadness and regret, "Martel wanted to end the war so she, myself, Kratos, and Mithos left to find a way to end the war through…peaceful means."

"Is that why Mithos made the pacts with the summon spirits?" Colette asked.

Kratos nodded. "Mithos wanted to make Martel happy, no matter what, and under my supervision, we traveled to each seal and made pacts with each element, including Origin." Sighing, Kratos placed a hand on his sword casually. "Mithos believed that with more power, he would be able to convince the kings from both countries to sign a peace treaty."

"And he was successful." Yuan cut in. "Martel was happier than we ever remember seeing her, but it was happiness that was short lived." Looking at Kratos for a moment, the angel turned back to Lloyd and Colette. "A man by the name of Zaichar confronted Mithos, demanding the power of the summon spirits and if Mithos refused, Zaichar would kill him and forcefully break the pact formed between Mithos with Origin. It was his belief that the one who controlled the mana should control the world, since the Goddess Martel was no longer…awake." Yuan's voice quieted and Kratos knew it was hard for him, so he finished the story.

"Mithos refused and Zaichar attacked, that was when Martel jumped in front of Mithos and…"

"She died to save him." Lloyd interrupted. "I remember seeing a vision from one of Mithos' memories about that time…"

_Martel lay dying at Mithos' feet, the young half-elf struggled with his shock at what had just happened. "Martel? How could you…?" He asked the assailant._

_Yuan glared at the man, his own grief tearing him apart. Martel was his… "Human! Your kind must not be allowed to live!" It was an uncharacteristic thing for the half-elf to say, but after seeing Martel and Mithos exiled and now the girl lay near death, Yuan completely lost his cool. Raising his hand, he powered up an attack._

_Kratos stood on Mithos' other side, anger filling his veins as well. After everything they did to end the war, the one who wanted peace more than anything, despite how she was treated, would never get to see it. "How far are you willing to go to take control of the mana?" He asked raising his sword._

_Mithos shook with grief and looked up with tears in his eyes, his sister's limp body still warm in his arms. "I'll never forgive you…You humans are all the same!"_

"When Martel died, Mithos was filled with despair and lost his faith that elves, half-elves, and humans would ever be able to live in the same world peacefully." Kratos continued. "You see the two countries were mostly half-elf versus humans, the villagers from Heimdall deciding to stay out of it completely. Of course some humans sided with the half-elves and vise versa. Mithos, using the Eternal Sword, split the two countries into the two worlds of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant, then using the power of the Great Seed before it completely withered away, fused Martel's soul with it, to preserve her until it came time to resurrect her."

Yuan, having regained his composure, nodded. "We were all…very close, but Mithos felt it more than any of us, which is understandable. When he discovered the power of the cruxis crystal, he evolved into an angel and convinced Kratos and I to do the same…for Martel's sake. We believed him, but over time, it was obvious he wasn't going to fulfill his initial vow with the summon spirits and germinate the great seed. He became obsessed with Martel and began the entire system of mana links and the story of the Chosen."

Lloyd, amazing, kept up with everything being told to him. "That was why you left to form the Renegades." He concluded. "And you think this Zaichar is still alive?"

"He is." Kratos said gravely. "Sometime ago, maybe 400 years, he confronted me and goaded me into a fight."

Frowning, Yuan looked at his friend. "You never told me this."

Kratos shrugged. "Until I knew more, I figured it was of little consequence." Turning to Lloyd, he continued. "I failed to kill him, merely wounding him, but the powers he used were unlike anything I'd ever seen. They were dark powers, similar to what the angels of Derris-Kharlan and Mithos himself used. But for some reason, Zaichar still wanted the power of the summon spirits. I assume since Mithos is no longer his opposition, he has now turned to you, Lloyd."

"Me? What do I have to do with any of this?" The swordsman wondered.

Colette tilted her head. "Is it for revenge against Kratos?" She asked. "Maybe you prevented something he had in mind all those years ago."

Kratos nodded. "It's possible, but the reason, Lloyd, that he's after you is because the summon spirits are now under your control."

"Because of the pact with Origin," Yuan caught on. "Once Sheena completed her vow, they went under Lloyd and that's why Aska saved them."

Lloyd's mouth was wide open in surprise. "I…have the summon spirits? All of them?"

"But he can't summon." Colette spoke up. "And don't you have to have elven blood in your ancestry somewhere? Isn't that what you said Sheena told you Lloyd?"

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, I didn't even make vows at the other seals."

"You don't have to." Kratos explained. "When you formed the pact with Origin, the King of the Summon Spirits, your validity into the summoning world was complete. I suspect also having the Ring of the Pact, forged by Dirk has something to do with it. What I wonder about is why would Zaichar want the power of the spirits to begin with? With as much power as he showed back then, he could have easily caused any sort of trouble."

"That is what we have to find out." Yuan began making his way out. "I'll send my men out to investigate at once. In the mean time, I've heard there have been some strange attacks near the Tower of Mana. I myself have flown over there and the…sense of the mana seems off somehow Kratos. Perhaps you will find clues as to Zaichar's whereabouts there."

Kratos nodded in agreement. "You aren't coming?"

"Not this time, my friend. I still have some loose ends to finish concerning the desian bases and the mana reactor. Once I am finished, I'll come and find you." Replied the angel, before stepping out.

"Wow! So I can summon now, huh!? Awesome!" Lloyd was ecstatic. Colette giggled by his side and the two talked about their next move.

Kiga, who up until now had remained quiet, walked up to Kratos. "May I have a _private_ word with you?"

"Of course." Kratos stepped to the side, away from Lloyd. "What is it?"

Looking concerned, Kiga felt guilty about bringing this up to a third party, but Kratos was Yuan's friend so… "Lord Kratos, Lord Yuan has been acting…strange lately."

"Strange? How so?" Wondered the angel.

"Well, his memory seems to be kind of patchy, he seems to forget certain things he was doing or why. Then when he returned from his travels, he seemed extremely fatigued. I'm worried about him." Kiga admitted.

Agreeing, Kratos had noticed the same things. "I'll have a word with him. Thank you."

Nodding, Kiga made his way out the door.

Turning to his son Kratos said, "Lloyd, prepare for our trip and head to the entrance. I will meet you there." When Lloyd nodded, Kratos strode out of the door Yuan had back into his office.

Yuan sat back down on his chair and was visibly shaking. Martel's murderer was back and he would get his chance for revenge. So why then did he hesitate to go? Some part of him was afraid. In his present condition, he would only fail and be sent to hell…away from his beloved Martel. He wanted to be prepared for the confrontation he believed had eluded him for far too long.

_Oh Martel…_ Yuan thought sadly. _How I long to hear the soft melodies of your flute. Have you truly been freed from your torment, or do you suffer still while your murderer lives?_ Yuan hung his head down. _Martel…_

_Martel sat at the base of a tree while her brother and Kratos spared in the clearing just ahead. The sky was beautifully clear above and the sunshine filled the world with nothing but brightness. "Oh Yuan, isn't it amazing? I wish everyone could just stop what they were doing and enjoy the simplicities life has to offer."_

_Yuan sat by her side, but he stared not at the beauty of the sky…but at the beauty before him. "Once our journey's over, you will see your vision of a peaceful world come to pass. I promise."_

_Martel looked at him and smiled with her lovely jade eyes. The wind blew her green hair across her porcelain face and she giggled as Yuan gently placed it behind her ear once more. "You think so Yuan? I can't wait for that moment. To hear children laughing, dogs barking…no more of these weapons of war."_

_Yuan saw her smile fade as she hung her head in sadness. Looking over at the injured creature on her other side, Martel patted the animal on its head. "Then gentle creatures such as this wouldn't be harmed in such cruel ways." She sighed. "What was the name Sir Kratos gave him?"_

_"I think it was Noishe." Yuan looked over at the green and white dog as it slept to regain its strength. Just recently the group had come across the animal bleeding and near death from starvation. Kratos took the animal in and began nursing him back to health. The dog looked better by the day. "His healing arts are amazing, don't you think?"_

_"Yes they are…" Martel replied, still depressed._

_Smiling as an idea came to mind, Yuan leaned forward. "How about you play him a song? Your melodies always soothe me. I'm sure it'll work on him as well."_

_Blushing at the compliment, Martel nodded and gave her love a half smile. "As you wish." She took out her simple pan flute made from the nuts of the linkite tree, and placed it on her lips._

_Yuan closed his eyes and let the music flow through him. Once this war really was over, Yuan had with him a ring he hoped would be the binding tie between him and Martel. The initials Y. and M. were engraved on the inside of the band. Maybe they could start their own family in the peaceful new world. He knew Martel always loved children and as long as he was with her, he didn't care what happened._ **_Martel…I will always love you…_**

Kratos walked in and saw Yuan sitting with his eyes closed, and thought for a moment he was asleep, until Yuan gave a feint smile and said, "Martel…I will always love you…"

"Yuan?" Kratos said suddenly.

Jolting from his dream, Yuan saw Kratos in front of him and blinked as he came to his senses. "K-Kratos…I thought you'd left already…"

"No, but it appears you did." The angel said. "Tell me Yuan, what's really the matter?" Kratos hoped since the two were friends, the other would confess as to what ailed him.  
"N-nothing, simply remembering Martel. That's all." Yuan slowly admitted.

Kratos could understand what Yuan was going through. "You know, when I first came across Kvar, I wanted nothing more than to exact my revenge for what he did to Anna and Lloyd. With the injuries I gave him that day, I thought I had, but he survived still. That is until Lloyd and I confronted him at the desian ranch." Kratos remembered both father and son stabbing the scientist through the heart from two angles. Kratos' parting words to his beloved's murdered had been, 'Feel the pain…of those worthless beings…as you burn in hell!' "Wherever Zaichar is…we'll find him, Yuan. I swear it."

"I know you will my friend. I have faith in you. I simply am not myself lately. Perhaps I should rest up a bit. I have already sent out the word to the other underground outposts. Should anything suspicious happen that could be related to Zaichar, I will have it forwarded to you via comlink." Yuan said standing up. "Thank you for going through all this trouble."

"It's the least I could do." Kratos replied. "To know that he survived after our battle proves how strong he's gotten. I don't doubt he will target Lloyd and myself directly from here on out."

"May the Goddess Martel protect you." Yuan shook hands with Kratos and watched the angel leave. "And Kratos…" His friend stopped. "I have heard the villagers from Heimdall have completely vanished and no one knows where they went. Their home is nothing more than a ghost town now. Be careful. Zaichar may be behind the kidnapping…" Slowly the angel nodded and left.

Once the doors closed behind Kratos, he sighed. "May the Goddess Martel protect you as well, my friend." Then he left to join Lloyd. The Tower of Mana would be a long flight, so the angel prepared to make stops for his son, seeing as he still wouldn't be used to it. "If Zaichar really is there, I _will_ send him to hell…in pieces."


	9. Courage Within

Courage From Within

_"Dwarven Vow #8: Blood is inherited; Virtue is acquired."_

_Just outside Iselia_

Sheena awoke the next morning with unusual warmth and at first she brushed it off as Carbuncle snuggling closer, so she let it be. When the warmth squeezed her closer and she discovered that it wasn't Carbuncle at all…she gasped and pulled away from the embrace. Sleeping no more than a few inches from her face, looking incredibly cute and solemn, was Zelos. Sometime during the night the two had sought each other for warmth and now slept in each other's arms.

Sheena's face heated up even more as she blushed a deep red. The night before Zelos had comforted Sheena when she got depressed about loosing her summon spirits. She once thought she was weak, but then felt stronger and more courageous when she began forming the pacts with the summon spirits because she was finally of some use to the group she'd joined. Without them, she was at a loss. Zelos then told her that she had grown strong the entire time he'd known her and he often admired her persistence. She never gave up even if she was afraid, like at Volt's Tower. She didn't have all the summon spirits before then and just because the lost them now didn't mean she was in any way weaker. Sheena had to admit, it was hard to fight logic like that.

The Mizuho ninja was still staring at Zelos' sleeping face when he moaned and began opening his eyes. Sheena acted quickly and sat up to look the other way. Surprisingly there was Carbuncle snuggled on her other side. Smiling to play off her nervousness, she scratched the guardian behind the ear to wake her up. "There you are." The guardian purred as it slowly woke up.

Zelos stretched and sat up, not noticing their initial closeness, and yawned. "Why you up so early?" He whined, scratching the back of his head.

Sheena bent her knees to the side to get more comfortable and raised an eyebrow at the warrior groggily rubbing his eye next to her. "We still have to get to Iselia…on foot, then we have to head back to Meltokio castle to warn the king about that thing that attacked you." Remembering that he was still healing, Sheena frowned. "Let's have a look at your wounds so I can see how they're doing."

"No, no, that's okay." Zelos said rather quickly. "I mean, come on, it's me. I'm a quick healer and always bounce back. No worries."

Sheena shrugged and played it off as innate egotism. "Fine, then why don't you find us some breakfast and we'll be on our way."

"What? Why me?" He complained.

"Because you're the man and it's your job!" She shouted back.

Standing up, Zelos jumped away in fear. "Just like it was your job as a woman to crash the rheaird?" Seeing her jump up ready to pound him, he took off into the nearby woods. "Oh no! It's the wild banshee! Run for your lives!"

Clenching her fists, Sheena crossed her arms and pouted with a growl. "I'll show him banshee…"

Carbuncle tilted her head. "If you like him so much, why do you get mad at him all the time?" She asked bluntly.

Sheena blushed again. "I-I don't like him! Who would?" She lied, looking off to the side.

"Okay." Carbuncle snickered, but decided to leave it at that. "So why do we have to go to Meltokio Castle?"

"Well, the letter we're delivering to Iselia is to tell the mayor that the king is starting a World Council so everyone can make decisions. Whatever attacked Zelos might attack others, so when everyone convenes, it'll be our job to warn them about the new threat." Sheena explained in a nutshell. "I also sent a special messenger to Altamira to get in contact with Regal and Presea. If the angels Zelos saw stole his exspheres, the Toize Valley Mine might be next."

"You're so considerate, Sheena." The guardian spirit complimented.

Sheena smiled. "Thanks Carbuncle."

Zelos had returned with a smile, but no food was evident in his hands. Sheena stood up and immediately got mad. "You were gone for an entire hour and you come back with nothing?" That was probably her stomach speaking…

The mighty warrior didn't faze this time when his companion got mad and the smile remained on his face. "Didn't have to. Iselia is just a few miles West of here. We can make it there and eat at the inn. My treat?" He offered with a wink.

Carbuncle and Sheena exchanged looks, but the ninja could find nothing wrong with the idea and shrugged, her anger instantly gone. "Yeah, sure. Let's go."

Carbuncle dashed over to Zelos and ran up his back to prop happily on his shoulders. "Yay! Food!" She exclaimed.

Zelos had veins in his forehead as he glared at the guardian. "Do _guardians_ even need to eat?" He wondered.

"No, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it anyways. Besides, since your paying, it's _free_ food! That's even better!" She giggled happily.

Zelos sighed once again in defeat. "How do I constantly lose arguments to a mouse?"

Sheena laughed and came up to Zelos' side, boldly taking his arm to lead him to the village. "Cause she's smarter than you, that's why." This time both girls laughed, leaving poor Zelos to mope.

_Over the skies near Tower of Mana_

Kratos flew slower than he usually did, keeping a steady eye on both Colette and Lloyd. He didn't worry much for the former Chosen of Sylvarant, the angel-girl having more experience with her wings and flying than his son. Kratos was unusually nervous when Lloyd performed a twirl or corkscrew in mid air. They were feelings he hadn't felt since Lloyd started walking and getting into everything he could: food, medicine gels, mud pies created by the toddler himself. They were called the 'terrible-twos' as Kratos remembered Anna stating.

Lloyd flew with his back towards the ground and came up underneath Kratos. "What's the matter, Dad? Old age getting to ya?" He teased with a smile.

Kratos, though, wasn't moved at all. "If you intend to fall from the sky then by all means, keep wasting your energy." He warned.

Lloyd blew off the warning. "Origin already told me my body would get used to long flights and not to worry."

The answer surprised the angel. "You spoke with Origin?"

Shrugging, Lloyd righted himself and flew by his father's side. "Sort of. Ever since I made the pact, it's like he can hear my thoughts and I can hear him. He was the one to tell me not to worry when the Derris-Emblem split everyone apart back at Welgaia."

"I see." Kratos had to admit the youth had adjusted faster than he expected.

Colette, who up until now had stayed rather quiet, frowned and pointed down at the tower they approached. The Tower of Mana, having been near demolished with the revival of the out-of-control Mana Tree, was overrun with vines and shrubbery. But at its base, the angel-girl thought she saw something. "It looks like something really is down there."

Lloyd looked down and was surprised when he could see the two bodies as clear as if they were right next to him. "Genis! Professor Sage!" He shouted in fear and grief, diving down before either of his companions could react.

Kratos was the next to recover, descending as rapidly as his son, if not faster, to join his side. The grass around their two fallen comrades was scorched with fire and resonating mana from the previous battle filled the entire area. "I think we may have our lead as to Zaichar's whereabouts." He commented.

"Who cares about that? My friends are what's important now!" Lloyd shouted angrily.

Kratos let it slide as he knew the boy's tendency to get emotional when something involved his friends or family. He slowed down, seeing Colette finally join him, and landed a few feet from where Lloyd was already checking on the half-elves' condition.

"T-they're breathing…" He said slowly, but the tears had already started to fall.

Colette was just as emotional, but kept it to herself. "W-who could've done such a thing?" She whimpered.

"The who and why are going to have to wait." Kratos said knowingly as he came up to Raine's side. Bending down on one knee, he pulled back part of her shirt to reveal blackened wounds on the skin beneath. "First we need to treat them and quickly. They won't last much longer if this is allowed to spread any more." He picked up the scholar and looked seriously at his son.

Lloyd held Genis against him and could feel the blood flowing over his fingertips from the wound on his back before he even saw it. Part of the blood was healthy and red, while the edges of the actual gashes grew darker into a deep black. _Whatever did this is going to pay…_ He swore in anger. Slowly he stood up and choked down a sob when he felt Genis' body so limp and light in his arms. "W-where to...then?" He asked his father slowly.

Kratos lifted off the air a little and motioned his head to the Southeast. "Lake Umacy is nearby. We will be able to rest them there." He slowly took off in that direction, followed by Lloyd and Colette who flew by his side.

Colette hadn't ceased crying, and as she looked down at Genis' silver hair speckled with his own blood, she only cried harder. "Hang in there, Genis." She said between sobs. "Don't you dare give up!"

Lloyd had to close his eyes and looked away as he followed his father. _I thought everything was over. I thought we'd finally achieved peace. Hang on, buddy. I'm gonna see you through this. But you have to stay with me._ He thought to his friend. _Stay strong…_

_Altamira_

The elevator doors opened to Regal's office, and both he and Presea walked in quietly. Neither had said much on the way back from the mine, both being in too much shock to say anything. Presea's mind was already calculating possible reasons for the Renegade leader's defection. Defection was a pretty strong word to use just because Yuan was never on their side to begin with. Only when their goals were the same or when it benefited him most, did the former Angel of Cruxis aide the group in any way.

Regal sat on his desk and sighed. "There are many paths we can take from here." He commented blandly.

Presea took a seat on the other side of the desk. "Going to the Renegade base directly would be one of them." Part of her was still angry at the attempt Yuan had made to take Regal's life.

"Yes, but as many of our…visits there proved, their security is tight and if they don't want us to interfere, they will stop us by any means necessary." Regal reminded.

Before Presea could respond, the elevator door opened once more and Regal's assistant, George, stepped through with a bow. "Please forgive my intrusion, Master Regal." He apologized.

"Not at all. Please come in." Regal sat up in a more professional manner. "What is it?"

George handed him a letter. "This is from the King." He reported. "There is also a messenger from Mizuho here to see you. Shall I send him in?"

Regal opened the letter and began reading it. "Yes, just give me a few moments before you do." When George nodded and left down the elevator, Regal handed the letter to Presea. "It seems the King has forfeited his title and wishes to begin a World Council with the leaders of the villages and it seems I have been deemed the representative of Altamira, at least for the first meeting until the people decide for certain whom they wish to be their delegate." He summed up.

"With Sylvarant in lack of a monarchy, this was to be expected." Presea commented flatly. "There are many issues that will have to be addressed."

Regal sighed, knowing the political circles that would form within the walls of Meltokio as well as the complicated conversations that would follow. Politics, though one of Regal's strong points, was never something he indulged in.

The elevator door opened and the messenger from Mizuho stepped in with a bow. It was Orochi. "Regal Bryant, I bring word from Sheena of Mizuho."

Orochi proceeded to tell Regal about the attack on Zelos and their suspicions about the theft of the exspheres. "She says that if you desire to speak more about it, to meet her at Meltokio Castle after the World Council convenes."

Regal looked at Presea. "We seem to have become involved in a much bigger coup than we initially thought."

Presea nodded gravely. "Perhaps it would be wise to place some sort of security to the entrance of the mine to ensure no more exspheres are mined." It was a low risk that someone would go through the trouble of digging through the collapsed mine in order to get to the exspheres, but whoever or whatever attacked the Chosen of Tethe'alla and injured him as badly as Sheena said, needed to be dealt with carefully.

Regal nodded. "I agree. We can take no chances."

Orochi held a fist over his heart. "We of Mizuho would gladly offer our services. I am certain Chief Igaguri would agree." He offered.

"That would be most appreciated. I will compensate your men for their time." Regal stood up.

The Mizuhoen shook his head. "I would not dream of it. You and the Chosen group have done so much for our village already. It would be an honor to repay the favor."

Regal smiled. "Thank you." When Presea stood up, he looked at her. "Since the E.C. I ordered for transportation will not be needed to get to Triet, shall we take it instead to Meltokio Castle?"

Though Presea agreed, she felt the same as Regal did. "I do not look forward to dancing around the issues at hand with politicians." She commented.

Regal laughed. "Nor do I. But if anyone can show them how to be bold in light of danger, you are the one to show them."

Presea tilted her head at the comment, but took it as a simple matter of strength and shrugged. "I doubt my axe will come in handy in such confrontations…"

Regal came up and placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling warming down at her. "Don't be too sure. These meetings can prove to be…entertaining as well as a good work out." Regal looked in the direction of where the messenger from Mizuho had been, but he had already vanished. _They truly are masters of illusion._

_Iselia_

The person at the inn remembered the two from their previous visit and was more than happy to accommodate them. Zelos ended up saving a couple of gald, which only further convinced Sheena of how cheap the swordfighter was. Carbuncle ate happily in a seat of her own, while Zelos stuffed his face full of food. Not exactly the date Sheena was looking forward to. And of course, Zelos was oblivious to it all.

Afterwards they ventured over to Colette's house in order to speak with Frank. When they got there, Frank happily let them in and offered them breakfast. Zelos instantly accepted - always having room for more food, but Sheena interrupted saying, "Actually, we're here on official business." She brought out the letter. "The King wants to start a World Council and as Mayor of Iselia, you've been invited to Meltokio Castle, just South of here, to meet with the rest of the leaders of the new world." She relayed.

As Frank read the letter, Phaidra came out from one of the back rooms. "Frank? Do we have company?" The older woman recognized Zelos and Sheena and smiled. "Oh children, it's so good to see you again." She greeted.

Sheena laughed nervously over being called a child, but in comparison to the priestess…they were. "Yep. Um…how have you guys been here?"

Just then Dirk came around the corner holding a large book in both hands. "Phaidra, I think I've found something." The dwarf noticed Sheena and Zelos and tried to wave, but the size of the book compared to his body made it difficult. "Hello. It's good to see you two safe and sound."

Zelos frowned. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Phaidra began walking back into the back room. "Perhaps you two should join us." Once everyone was settled in and Altessa got in greetings of his own, the priestess continued.

She told both newcomers about the cave the dwarves had come across and the strange symbols they'd researched into. "Whoever was in that cave summoned a force called Omega and though we were unable to find much, there were passages that hinted a rivalry between the summon spirit Omega and the Goddess Martel that dates back far beyond the beginning of the Great Kharlan War." She reported.

Carbuncle shivered. "Omega…" She whimpered in fear.

Sheena picked up the creature and placed her in her lap. "Carbuncle, you okay?"

Carbuncle hid her head in Sheena's arm as if trying to hide from the invisible force. "He was a bad man…" The guardian said muffled in Sheena's clothes.

Phaidra gently petted the animal across its back to soothe it. "Do you know something about this, little one?"

"Is this the bad human you talk about?" Her mistress asked.

Carbuncle nodded and half exposed her face. "The bad man tried to make me do evil things and when I didn't want to, he said he'd summon Omega instead. Omega is an evil summon spirit that was locked away a long time ago."

"Locked away? Why?" Zelos asked with a frown.

"And who would be able to break such a seal on a summon spirit?" Sheena wondered as well.

Phaidra placed a hand on her chin in thought. "We seem to have a much bigger problem on our hands…Would you happen to know the name of this human?"

"He wasn't human." Carbuncle said, now a little more calmed down. "He was Elven and he called himself…Zaichar."

_Lake Umacy_

The three angels landed before the edge of the forest near the lake and Lloyd looked to his father. "You want to rest them _here_?" He asked in disbelief.

Colette walked forward a few steps and held up a hand as if she were feeling something. "Lloyd, look closer. There's a barrier here."

"Huh?" Lloyd squinted, as if that'd make him see better, but slowly began seeing the edges of the glowing yellow-green barrier. "Woah! What is this place?"

Kratos looked up at the barrier and waved a hand in front of it, making it fade away to reveal a small cottage. "This…is home."

The wooden dwelling was simple, but the forest background made it amazingly peaceful. The roof was lined with intricate carved overhangs and the edges of the windows were lined with the same design. The main room split into the family room and then the dining area and kitchen. There was a blue and black woven rug on the floor, two chairs and a longer couch, both a milky cream color. There were two bedrooms, one bigger than the other, and of course a bathroom. There was an innate feeling of happiness that seemed to soak into the very wood of the house. Just being inside made one remember being home once more.

Lloyd immediately laid Genis down in a separate room than his sister, only one bed being available in each, and paced back and forth in the living room while Kratos did all he could to stop the infection. Colette remained with her friend, placed there specifically by Kratos to keep Lloyd from interfering. When they found time, Kratos was going to need to sit Lloyd down and have a chat about overreacting at inappropriate times.

The two half-elves had been unconscious for a while, but Kratos had dealt with this kind of wound before and could save his friends…but just barely.

During his own battle with Martel's murderer, Kratos had received similar injuries and therefore knew what had to be done. But even knowing that, the kind of infection was difficult and hard to alleviate. In truth he believed the scholar herself would've been able to do far better with her power of the unicorn's horn, but right now she was as incapacitated as her younger brother.

Genis had been dealt a far worse wound and Kratos broke a sweat isolating the foreign mana and stopping the blood flow. Usually half-elves were great healers, hardly ever getting sick and recovering quickly from any injury. But the black remnants of the attacker prevented such healing and therefore both siblings were close to bleeding to death.

When he was satisfied both were past the worst of it, he came out into where his son and Colette were waiting patiently…well Colette anyway. Lloyd immediately jumped to his feet and approached his father.

The youth instantly noticed his father's fatigue and got worried. "Dad?" He asked carefully.

"Colette, would you stay with them and make sure the bleeding doesn't soak through the bandages?" Kratos said as he walked to the front door.

"Of course." Colette gave one last look to Lloyd before rushing into the rooms.

Lloyd was split between seeing his friends and seeing how his father was holding up. _I can see my friends when they come to. I need to talk with my father now._ He decided and turned around to follow his dad outside.

As soon as the angel exited the house, his exhaustion overcame him and he collapsed.

"Dad!" Lloyd rushed forward and supported the angel before he could hit the ground. "Are you alright?" He helped Kratos to a wooden bench outside and sat him down, taking a seat nearby.

Kratos took a few deep breaths and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I…used up a lot of my mana, but they'll live." He commented, knowing that was what the boy needed to hear.

Lloyd was relieved, but still worried about his father. "Thank you…"

Kratos gave a small smile. "This reminds me of when I released Origin's seal. I'll be annoyingly weak for a few days, but my mana will restore itself in time." He assured.

Satisfied he wasn't going to fall over, Lloyd released his grip on Kratos' arm and sat back. "How did you know about this place anyway?"

Kratos looked up at the sun filtering through the trees and smiled in memory. "I've told you that after I met Anna, we were pursued by Cruxis, right?" Lloyd nodded. "Well after some time I came to believe they'd given up, or at least stopped to find another host for the Angelus Project. With you now a part of the family, we decided it was too risky to travel for extended amounts of time, so we came here and I built a home for us. This home."

Lloyd looked at the beautiful detail of the windowsills and doorframes. "You _built_ this? It's amazing!"

Kratos laughed shortly. "Coming from one who was raised by a dwarf, I'll take that as a big compliment." Kratos looked over the water just a few meters ahead and imagined Anna sitting on that same rock, baby Lloyd in her lap, playing with their feet in the water.

"Is this where Kvar found you?" Lloyd asked suddenly.

Kratos sighed and nodded. "Yes. He came with desian soldiers and took Anna back to the Iselia Ranch. I managed to hide you away and later left to hide deep within Ymir Forest. I placed a barrier here in case I ever returned. It's been fifteen years…"

"It looks great." Lloyd complimented again. "Maybe we could live here once everything settles down." Getting sad, Lloyd knew the suggestion probably didn't cross Kratos as a good idea. "I mean…_you_ could probably live here…if you wanted to."

Kratos raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on Lloyd's shoulder…which was as close to a hug as he could manage at this point in their relationship. "You will always be welcomed here." He said softly.

As Lloyd felt his father's reassuring squeeze, he truly felt like he belonged by the angel's side. No more was he just a companion or even a nuisance. He was his father's son. He had a family. Lloyd believed Kratos would never fully come to understand the significance that one sentence held for the boy. True, he would always have his adopted father, but he was happier knowing he still had existing family that loved him and would be there for him. "Thanks Dad."

Later when the two had returned inside after hours of speaking about Anna and the angel's life there, Lloyd found Colette hunched over asleep next to Genis' bed. Lloyd knew his friend had probably cried over relief and tired herself out before she knew it.

So he gently picked her up and laid her down on the couch in the living room. Kratos sat there as well, still needing time to replenish his mana. So the swordfighter took it upon himself to go and check up on his best friend and former teacher.

Raine's body had returned to normal, having appeared slightly gray when they found her, and she showed no signs of suffering or fever. Genis, on the other hand, tossed and turned with nightmares, and the movement only made his cuts hurt more. On his back, four large gashes had been dealt and now lay bandaged to prevent further bleeding.

Kratos had done all he could…the rest was up to the little mage himself.

Lloyd brought in a chair and sat next to his friend in case anything happened. Racking his brain he tried to figure out how his friend had gotten mixed up with Zaichar. And what would the person who sought out Lloyd for the summon spirits want with Genis? Was it to hurt Lloyd? To make him relinquish the elemental guardians? _If that is his plan, then I have to think about what I'm going to do about it now, instead of later._ Lloyd thought.

_The dark signature around the Tower of Mana is not from Aska or Luna, and it's old so if Zaichar inhabited it at one time, it's unlikely that he is still there._ Origin said.

"Oh yeah, you were already with Mithos when Zaichar confronted him, huh?" Lloyd asked in a whisper.

_Yes, but even if he had succeeded in killing Mithos, I - nor any of the others - would ever think of forming a pact with him._ Origin promised darkly.

"Hmm, speaking of which, maybe Aska or Luna would know something about it." The new summoner suggested.

"No…don't…" Genis began mumbling in his sleep and cried out. "Leave her alone!"

Lloyd hopped up and held onto his best friend's shoulders. "Genis, calm down! It's okay, you're safe now!"

Genis continued his fit and tried struggling out of Lloyd's grip. "No sis! Raine!" Eyes flashing open, Genis looked back and forth, his body now covered in sweat. "I have to save her!" He exclaimed, bolting up out of bed.

"Genis, look at me! It's Lloyd!" The half-elf's friend pleaded. "The battle's over! Professor Sage is fine!"

Genis took unsteady deep breaths and seemed to finally recognize Lloyd. "The elf…it attacked so suddenly…"

Though he'd loosened his hold on the spellcaster, Lloyd could feel him trembling underneath. "Kratos, Colette, and myself found you passed out over at the base of the Tower of Mana and brought you here." He said slowly and clearly in case the young half-elf was still unnerved and not understanding everything he said. "Kratos used his healing magic to stop whatever had infected you." That was as detailed as Lloyd could get concerning that because Kratos still hadn't gone into explaining exactly _what_ the black substance was that affected them so.

Genis slowly relaxed and leaned against the back post of the bed. Lloyd took this moment to sit back and let his friend come to his senses. Genis looked at his hands sadly and flexed his fingers in unison, as if judging their potential. "He…came at us so quickly." The little mage said in a low voice. "He…didn't…recognize us at all."

"Who?" Lloyd asked, intrigued. "Who was it that attacked you?" The half-angel had to know: was it Zaichar that attacked his friends?

Genis looked Lloyd right in the eye and shook his head with an expression of fear. "Not 'who'. _What._" He shivered at the memory, as it was still fresh in his mind. "It was…an elf. But in a darker, twisted form. We didn't stand a chance." He sighed and returned to staring at his hands remorsefully. "I failed them…I failed them all."

"Who?" He asked again. Lloyd was getting more information, getting a better idea of what happened. But he also knew he had to be patient. He didn't want to push his friend too soon.

Sniffling, Genis wiped away his tears before they could fall. "I wish I was more like you Lloyd. More stubborn and courageous when it came to defending the people I care about. You're not afraid of anything."

"What are you talking about? I'm afraid of a lot of things." Genis looked up in confusion. "I'm afraid Mithos will find a way back and split the world in two again. I'm afraid that another war will break out and the Great Viscus Tree will whither and die. I'm afraid my friends and family will end up suffering on my behalf. I'm afraid of all that, but I know I can't let that stop me when it comes down to fighting for what I believe in."

"But…"

"Genis, you fought against Marble - someone you cared about - in order to save her. You stood up to your fears when you came back to Iselia, even though there was a chance they'd throw you and me back out again. You, who thinks they have no courage whatsoever, took Mithos head on. An angel who came into power centuries ago and was strong enough to split the world in two - something neither of us even thought possible!"

"Yeah, but you were there with me Lloyd." Genis reminded him. "You gave me that courage."

Lloyd shook his head. "Me being there had nothing to do with it. Having fear has nothing to do with it. It's acknowledging it - knowing it's there - yet facing it and conquering it in order to protect the ones you love. Only when you let your fear consume you are you weak. When you fought to save your sister, against an enemy you were afraid of, you were courageous in every sense of the word. It's actions like that…that make the heroes of today. Heroes like Genis the Great!"

The little half-elf giggled at the title bestowed upon him. "I'm not a hero Lloyd!"

Lloyd smirked, glad to have his friend almost back to normal. "Hey, according to everyone who knew about Mithos and what we did to stop it, we're all that and more! We saved the entire world, Genis! You have to feel good about that."

"But when people find out I'm a half-elf, they'll think I'm _with_ Mithos!" Genis said worriedly.

Lloyd waved away the suggestion. "No they won't. Our actions and the choices we make prove who we are - not our blood or ancestry." He shrugged. "At least, that's what I believe."

Although he felt better, Genis sighed sadly. "Lloyd, there's something I have to tell you…the elves of Heimdall…"

"It's not their fault." Kratos interrupted. Turning around the two boys saw the angel in the doorway, still leaning slightly against the doorframe. "Come to the other room. We have much to discuss."

Raine sat up on her bed, looking fatigued but otherwise okay. Colette and Kratos were waiting for the two boys as Lloyd helped his friend sit on the base of the bed. This room was the bigger of the two and Lloyd could see a hand made wooden crib covered halfway by a blue blanket in the corner. Just looking at it made him smile, as images formed in his mind of his mother rocking the crib to help him sleep or Kratos holding the baby in his arms as he sat silently in the filtered light of the room's curtains.

"I suppose since everyone's here, I'll begin explaining what I believe happened." Kratos started. "Zaichar, being an elf himself and knowing the potential of the elves -should they decide to fight against him - I believe he targeted them first."

"Would he truly have the power to accomplish such a feat?" Raine asked.

"I'm not sure. During my battle with him, I noticed his exsphere was not the healthy color most normal ones were. It was an ebony black."

Raine nodded. "I saw the elf that attacked us had a black exsphere as well."

"But we defeated that one; I saw it with my own eyes." Genis stated with worry. Had he been wrong in what he saw?

"And I don't doubt that. It's unlikely that was Zaichar himself. But if he were to attach a similar exsphere to one from Heimdall, the results would be devastating." Kratos theorized. "You see my battle with him was…disturbing…"

_Skies Over Linkite Tree Valley, 400 years ago…_

Kratos stood at the base of the valley, wondering how he could revive the linkite tree in order to summon Aska. Just recently the flaming Bird of Light had left the Tower of Mana for reasons unknown and the Angel of Cruxis was sent to discover why. A shadow passed overhead and Kratos looked up to see a person he'd not seen in 600 years. "Zaichar…so you still live." He said calmly, not allowing the man to know of his initial shock. "How is this possible?"

Zaichar, floating in midair facing the angel, scoffed and crossed his arms. He had frayed silver hair, like Kratos, but it was long and ended halfway down his back. He had a red bandana across his brow and black shining armor. His eyes were a cold, ice blue that made the angel shiver. "Yes, compared to you humans, we _elves_ live well over 1,000 years."

"So, you were never human to begin with." Kratos and the others accused Zaichar of being human at the time of Martel's death, but it was apparent he was far from that at all. Only humans were so irrational as to attack a half-elf without just cause. For an elf to do it was…unsettling.

"I never said that I was. And now that I am stronger than I was back then, I will make you all pay for preventing my Day of Ascension!" Zaichar glowed with a deep black aura and dove down at the angel in anger.

Kratos easily avoided the initial charge and withdrew his Flamberge, calling out his wings to take to the sky. "Do you still seek the power of the summon spirits?" He wondered.

Zaichar bounced off the ground and came at Kratos again, his butterfly sword proving to be a handful to defend against. As the angel blocked the fury of swipes, he caught a glimpse of Zaichar's exsphere on his right hand. Two more such stones adorned his weapon on either side of the center grip. "That idiot Mithos doesn't know the power he holds! But I knew that from the beginning, he _is_ merely a lowly half-elf!"

Kratos blocked another attack and kicked his opponent a good distance away. Holding his sword horizontally out in front of him, Kratos placed his hand against the flat of the blade and focused his mana. "Sacred powers, cast your purifying light upon this corrupt soul. Rest in peace, Zaichar! Judgment!" Finally, he could avenge Martel…

Zaichar laughed and a large black shield surrounded him. In the edges of the barrier, Kratos could've sword he saw Origin's face, but with black hair and dark purple eyes glaring back at him. Kratos' Judgment attack was absorbed into the barrier and disappeared without a trace. "Is this all the mighty cruxis crystal has to offer? Then the angels of Derris-Kharlan are nothing but pigs with wings!" He laughed. "Allow me to show you _true_ power." Zaichar held his sword in front of him and chanted, "Come darkness...root of all destruction and gather before me!"

Immediately Kratos prepared to block any sort of retaliation and watched as mana from all around was absorbed into Zaichar, turning from a pretty blue, to a darker navy blue, and finally to black as it disappeared within him.

When it appeared he was ready, he looked at Kratos and smirked. "Disappear into nothingness..." He raised his sword and fired a dark beam so powerful Kratos' shield didn't stand a chance and shattered into nothing within mere seconds.

The angel was thrown back and slammed into the valley below, a crater bursting out underneath him. The beam continued to assault him and filled Kratos' entire body with pain. His wings spasmed as he weakly tried to block off the rest of the attack. When Zaichar was finished, blackened smoke rose from Kratos' unmoving form.

Zaichar laughed and landed at the edge of the crater. "How did you like that, hm? I've always believed the power of death and darkness would overcome that of light. Now it is undeniable. I am the true force meant to lead this world. Cruxis is but an eyesore and I will see it destroyed first." He gloated.

Kratos gritted his teeth and tried to push off the ground to stand up. His body felt heavy and refused to listen. But he forced his legs to stand and turned to glare at Zaichar. His sword still lay sizzling on the ground from the attack. "I won't... let you get away! Healing Wind!" Green energy filled Kratos, keeping the foreign mana that had invaded his veins from interfering, and he instantly felt reenergized.

Zaichar was still in shock when Kratos retrieved his weapon and bolted into the air right towards Zaichar. "For Martel!" He shouted, slashing twice, three times. This time Zaichar could not erect his barrier in time and black blood splattered all over the place. "Double Lightning Blade!" Slamming the blade down, Kratos summoned one of the most powerful elements on the planet. A giant column of lightning shot down and enveloped Zaichar.

The elven spellcaster shrieked out in pain and jumped back from Kratos, his clothes singed as evidence of the assault. "This is not over, Kratos! This is only the beginning!" He swore, then disappeared into the sky once more.

"That's…that." Kratos would've followed then, but acting as irrationally as he had, the lightning attack had struck him too and he collapsed from the sky, landing on his knees in exhaustion. Already the rot and decay from his infected wounds grew and caused him even more pain. "Yuan…I'm sorry…"

_Laky Umacy - Present Day_

"It was the power of the exsphere that made him such a dangerous opponent, but I believe the entity I saw in the shield is the reason for it. I have yet to discover how or why though…" Kratos explained. "This same power might be what has taken control of those from Heimdall and turned them into…what you encountered at the Tower of Mana. It would explain why the village is now deserted."

"Well then we have to go back there!" Lloyd insisted. "We might still be able to save them!"

"Though this Zaichar is probably already gone, it's not too bad of an idea to investigate the tower for clues and information." Raine agreed.

"But not now." Kratos emphasized. "Should more creatures like that remain there, we would be helpless to stand up against it. We need to rest." He eyed Lloyd, but surprisingly the youth said nothing.

"How about I make us something to eat?" Colette offered, standing up.

"I'll help too." Genis made a move to follow.

Lloyd gently pushed him back down. "No way. You need to go back to bed and rest up. I'll bring the food to you, okay?"

Genis relented with a smile and nodded. "Yeah, all right."

Kratos also returned to the living room for some much needed meditation and rest. Hopefully when they returned to the Tower of Mana, he would obtain the answers he sought and the clues he needed to finally destroying Zaichar once and for all.


	10. A Not So Bright Future

A Not So Bright Future

_"Dwarven Vow #10: Rain does not fall on one roof alone."_

_Meltokio Castle_

Regal and Presea were admitted into the castle by the front guards, who upon seeing them instantly got nervous, and were escorted to their room. They were informed the new World Council would meet late that afternoon and to make themselves at home until then. As soon as the guards were gone, Presea turned to Regal. "I will attempt to find out more about our opponents in order to formulate a proper strategy."

Regal watched her go and couldn't help but smile. _Even though she grew up in the small village of Ozette, she appears to be no newbie to the political world. _He thought to himself. Regal made sure all his belongings were put away before making his way out to gather his own intel. The new World Council was a step in the right direction, but it could also bring about the Downfall. The Downfall was a term spoken of by the followers of Martel as a time when the Goddess would see fit to purge the world and start over. Those she deemed worthy would survive to rejuvenate the world. Should the World Council end up at odds with each other another war could break out and, if the legend holds true, the Goddess Martel might purge the world in order to prevent the Great Viscus Tree from perishing away.

When the president of Lezareno Company entered the Common Room, a few other representatives were there as well. Regal recognized Neil from Palmacosta and another familiar, yet surprising acquaintance. It was Lyla from Izoold. When she saw Regal, she stood up with a smile and greeted him. "Well, if it isn't 'el presidente' himself! Don't tell me _you're_ the rep for Altamira!"

The two gave each other friendly hugs and Regal shrugged. "Just until they can find a more permanent representative." He assured.

Neil noticed the two talking and decided to join them. "Better you than someone like me." He looked nervous and his fingers kept playing with his shirt. "I was barely Governor-General for a couple months and already they're throwing me into the big house."

Regal laughed in understanding. "I can't say this'll be enjoyable…"

"Awww, why not?" Lyla whined. "I think it'll be fun!"

Again Regal laughed, but this time, it was because he knew Lyla's known spunky yet stubborn attitude would no doubt shake up those from the big leagues - like the king and Sybak, even Flanoir might pose a problem.

It was good to know there were friends behind enemy lines, but Regal wondered how Presea was fairing with the real opposition…

That little lumberjack was edging her way to another area a few of the politicians had decided to meet in. She moved closer to the corner, attempting to catch some of their conversations.

"So, what do you think they'll bring up during the meeting?" She heard one woman ask.

"Well, _I'd_ like to know where all these new cities came from." The other sounded like a man. "This Iselia isn't anywhere on any of our maps."

"You wanna know what I heard? They…"

Presea couldn't catch the last of it as the two began to whisper. _My goal is unobtainable from current position. Solution: approach to get closer. Fallbacks: presence will be known and covert status will dissolve._ Shaking her head, Presea berated herself. _I have to stop thinking like that! I am not a machine!_ Since she looked ten, perhaps it was time she started "acting her age".

The idea made her smile, so she skipped around the corner and took a seat opposite of her two…objectives. They immediately silenced and went on edge with the new comer. To play it off, Presea took out a couple of her sharpening stones that she kept handy for her axe and began juggling with them like only a child would.

Not perceiving her as someone who would care what they were talking about, the two continued their conversation, but Presea immediately noticed it switched to her, seeing as her presences stirred up new…concerns.

"Isn't _she_ the one who helped the Pope retrieve the sacred wood for the ceremony back when the king was ill?" The woman asked.

"Yeah, I've seen her here before." The man confirmed. "But _I_ heard the Pope's gone missing. Seems he was the one behind the king being sick in the first place."

"Wouldn't surprise me. Right now the Church of Martel isn't exactly on friendly terms with anyone." The woman scoffed. "Seems they stopped receiving advice from the oracles and what not, but deny any such related questions by the minor priests and those on the pilgrimages."

Presea's act faltered upon hearing this and she dropped one of the stones. Giggling to cover it up, she retrieved her stone and skipped away. As soon as she was out of sight once more, she let the smile fade. _So, the Church of Martel has been cut off from its source of angels and information, because we dealt with Cruxis, and now don't know what to believe. If people loose faith in Martel, we will loose whatever support we had, even being the heroes we've been made out to be._

Waiting a few more minutes to see if either talked about anything interesting, Presea made her way back to her room. Regal needed to be informed.

As the delegates were slowly escorted into the newly designed chamber, Regal managed to smuggle Presea in as his "assistant". Neil and Lyla were seated, as well as the two Presea has seen. It seems the woman was the representative for Sybak and the man was with her as a rep for the Research Institute there. It was no wonder they were so obnoxious. Brains and politics were never a good combination.

Arriving a little later than everyone else were Zelos and Sheena and with them were Frank and Chief Igaguri from Mizuho. Presea had heard Igaguri had been one of the first to arrive and knew the intelligence leader probably knew more than anyone there at the moment.

Looking around at the seating, Regal noticed they were arranged in classifications. Both Sybak and Asgard were placed next to each other, being the intellectuals of the group. Luin and Ozette were placed near one another, being the leaders of trade and supplies, along with Neil - seeing as Palmacosta would prove to be the leader in trade delivery and shipping, along with Izoold. Lastly, Flanoir and Regal himself were seated off to the side - surviving mostly on tourism. Other cities such as Mizuho and Iselia had individual purposes and therefore needed no such pairings. The rest of the delegates were matched up with their appropriate economy group.

This was a wise decision on the king's part because similar economies meant similar interests. Regal only hoped those interests coincided. Hoped, but not counted on. If self-interests coincided…it just wouldn't be politics. Conversations continued, but Regal hadn't the chance to talk to either Zelos or Sheena before the king arrived and everyone silenced, taking their seats.

A moment passed before he addressed the council - no longer "the king" but as an equal. "Welcomed esteemed ambassadors. Your presence here today will mark the new beginning to the Age of Prosperity. The decisions made within these walls will affect our children and our children's children for centuries to come."

A small applause rang throughout the chamber. "We have been granted another chance to build for a better tomorrow; to support our neighbors in their time of need and nurture the Great Viscus Tree with everything it needs. For in return, we will be granted ever-lasting mana!"

Another round of applause ensued, this one much louder. "The first issue I would like to address is the reconstruction efforts of Luin, Ozette, and Palmacosta. As a representative of Meltokio, we open our arms to those without homes and offer any services needed to see them rebuilt to their former glory." The man said with a smile.

Regal raised his hand and was recognized with a nod. "The Lezareno Company also lends its resources to help in the reconstruction efforts." The generous offer sent some people into whispers. Presea merely gave him a nod of approval.

Neil stood up nervously as he cleared his throat. "Even though Palmacosta still has a ways to go, enough of our ships are sea-worthy that we can begin trading with the new cities as soon as possible."

The king, now known as the Arbitrator, nodded as Neil sat back down. "Are there any other comments from the floor?"

Zelos took this moment to lean in to Sheena. "This is going rather smoothly."

She shook her head. "We're not out of this yet."

The woman from Sybak stood up and adjusted her glasses. She was human, with short blond hair and brown eyes. She wore a navy blue coat and white blouse with matching navy blue pants. Overall, she looked like she was a teacher at a military school. "Where have all these new cities come from? I've never even heard of _Iselia_ and _Luin_." The matter in which she spoke of the small villages revealed quite a lot about her point of view and what she felt about them. Frank merely looked nervous, but the elderly mayor from Luin looked pissed. He clenched his fists, yet said nothing…this time. Regal knew his kind to be firecrackers in heated debates.

The Arbitrator eyed the woman warningly, but said, "Chief Igaguri, would you be so kind as to explain the recent changes?"

"Of course." The Chief stood up from Sheena's left. "During the end of the Ancient War, a man known as Lord Yggdrasill separated the two warring countries into two separate _worlds_ - Tethe'alla and Sylvarant." The Chief had to wait for murmuring and surprised gasps to quiet down before continuing. "Just recently a group of idealists lead by Lloyd Irving defeated Lord Yggdrasill and were able to reunite the worlds once again. The cities from both worlds exist on a single plane for all for see now."

The man from the Research Academy scoffed. "Two worlds? Who would have the power to split a world?"

Presea narrowed her eyes, knowing the work the academy did on cruxis crystals alongside the Elemental Research Institute. "One who had the power of a _cruxis crystal_, of course."

The monotone response from a child unnerved the man, who was no doubt the head scientist back at Sybak, and he instantly quieted.

The former king took a breath of relief and noticed another hand. "Yes, the floor recognizes the city of Flanoir."

Quietly the man stood up. "Um…I was just wondering about the rumors concerning the Angels of Cruxis and Martel." Regal, Presea, Zelos and Sheena all tensed at the question.

The Arbitrator knowingly turned to Frank - the mayor from the "Village of Oracles". "Iselia? Would you be able to shed some light on this subject?"

Frank shrugged. "I'm afraid perhaps those involved would be the best ones to explain it."

Sheena let out a sigh and prepared to stand up when Zelos stopped her and winked with a smile. "Don't worry babe, I got this one." Standing up he approached the front podium where the Arbitrator knowingly stepped aside. Though the warrior knew his next words needed to be chosen carefully, he decided to take the easy route and just wing it.

"The Great Kharlan War ended when Mithos the Hero brought the kings from both countries to the Holy Ground of Kharlan to sign a peace treaty." Knowing everyone already heard the legend, he continued, "During our travels, my companions and I discovered that Mithos also had the ability to summon…"

"We know that already!" The woman from Sybak interrupted. "History books have also hinted that Mithos had healing arts as well."

"But have you ever wondered _why_ he could summon? The only ones with the ability to use the natural mana around them are elves and half-elves…"

"What you speak of is heresy!" Sybak countered.

Lyla got steamed and stood up, pounding her desk. "Why? Just because you got your nose so high in the air you think you're better than them?"

"You will all remain quiet until he is finished!" The Arbitrator said aloud.

"That's because Mithos _was_ a half elf!" Zelos shouted. "And here's something Sybak doesn't know: using the power of the cruxis crystal, Mithos evolved into an angel and with the Summon Spirit Origin, he split the world into two!" The final statement sent the entire room into an uproar, but Zelos pushed forth with the truth. "The Mithos the Hero we all know is in fact Mithos _Yggdrasill_, Angel-Lord of Cruxis and it was Mithos who created the desians in order to save his sister - Martel - from certain death!"

The Arbitrator had his hands full quieting everyone while Zelos took his seat. Sheena shook her head and glared at him. "You could've let them down a little easier."

Zelos crossed his arms. "She was asking for it."

"Alright! Alright!" The Arbitrator tried again.

"So what of the Goddess Martel?"

"Did the priests know the entire time?"

"From my understand the presence of the Great Viscus Tree is proof of the Goddess Martel's existence and no the priests were left unaware, as were we all. For now, let's open the floor to _other_ concerns." Taking a deep breath, he saw Regal raised his hand and smiled appreciatively. "Yes, Altamira?"

Standing up, Regal locked his hands in the small of his back. "The exspheres we cling to are used at the costs of people's lives and I recommend we dedicate our time and efforts to discovering a new source of power."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" The man from the academy spoke up again. He was dressed similarly like his friend, but had long black hair pulled back in a ponytail and disturbing black eyes. It seemed Sybak was Regal's main problem. Everyone else - especially those from Sylvarant - had no problem with the suggestion seeing as their path of decline was stopped either way. Using exspheres as power sources was never developed in Sylvarant, so they wouldn't miss out on much. "Already water traffic has had to be diverted because the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge no longer works - having had its exspheres removed! What's next?"

"I have already ordered my own researchers to begin developing a new system. I suggest you do the same. It will take time, but the alternate is nothing less than inhumane."

"_Inhumane_?" The man countered. "You speak as if they're still _living_. The exspheres are no more living than this desk I'm sitting at."

Upon hearing this, Presea stood up. "Trees are as much a part of the Circle of Mana as lower life forms such as yourself are. Cutting down a tree, though it destroys the homes of animals living within, gives _us_ homes of our own."

The man laughed. "This coming from a mere lumberjack?"

Narrowing her eyes, Presea said in a low voice. "My point is that exspheres aren't a _natural _part of this system. They are made by extracting a person's very soul within them. Can you imagine? Living without movement, without a voice, merely watching as the world continues on without you?"

Unwilling to back down from a child, the scientist continued to push his luck, "Well, the slaves used in such experiments were probably the bottom of the Food Chain and Circle of Mana anyway - some half-elves or something - and deserved such a fate."

That was what did it for Presea – the girl instantly thinking of Alicia – and she took two menacing steps forward, ready to ring his neck with her bare hands. Thankfully Regal was there and held her back with one arm, shaking his head against her current action. It was painful for him too, but now was not the time.

The representative from Asgard cleared her throat and stood up. "I agree with Altamira. To continue using exspheres in such a way would only hinder any progress we attempt to make in creating a better world." She said.

The Arbitrator nodded. "Until further notice all exsphere usage will cease, leaving Altamira and by my order, Meltokio's Elemental Institute to find a better method. All in favor?" Everyone raised his or her hands except Sybak and surprisingly Flanoir. "And those against." Both representatives from Sybak glared at Regal and Presea. "Well then, motion passed and I adjourn this first meeting. Thank you all for coming."

_Tower of Mana_

The group approached the tower even more cautiously than the first time and Kratos and Lloyd took point in case anything appeared to attack again. Genis and Raine could sense that there was still an eerie feeling to the mana emanating from the base of the tower and tried to discern why.

"Oh hey, I forgot." Lloyd spoke up suddenly. When everyone turned to him, he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Origin and I came up with the idea to summon Aska and Luna to see if either could tell us about what's been going on inside the tower."

Kratos eased a little, but kept his sword out. "Very well. Make it quick."

Nodding, Lloyd made ready to summon, when he froze in realization. "Um…what do I do again?"

"Oh come on Lloyd!" Genis berated. "You only saw Sheena do it a hundred times!"

"I-I know that!" The swordsman countered. "It's just that I don't have the stones like she did. I don't know what to do!"

"Calm down and concentrate." His father instructed. "You should be able to summon just fine even without the summoning gems."

Lloyd closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "I call upon the light of the heavens. I summon thee, Luna! Aska! Come forth!" Two yellow balls of energy left his body and spun around the half-angel summoner until they stopped in front of him and materialized into the forms of Luna and Aska.

"What do you asketh of us, summoner?" Luna asked politely, sitting regaling on her moon throne.

Both of Aska's heads nodded in agreement.

"I need you guys to tell me what's been going on here at the seal while you were here. My friends were attacked by something and we believe a man by the name of Zaichar stayed here for a while." He turned to the bird of light. "Aska, you left the Tower of Mana back before Colette began her journey of regeneration. Why? Weren't you sealed here like Luna was?"

The bird replied with a shake of its heads. Though the bird did not talk, everyone present could understand him. _No, a dark power did take residence here and though only Luna remains here for creating pacts, the negative energy weakened both of us. We were at half strength and therefore both needed when the time came for forming the pact with the one called Sheena. I initially left the tower to travel to Shadow and see if he was the cause of it. But unfortunately he too was being drained._

"The force that weakened us was not Shadow and in fact as much energy as was being consumed here, our counterpart's own power waned and he was therefore force to split into five equal parts and go into hiding within his castle." Luna explained.

"That's why Shadow was like that when we got there!" Genis exclaimed. "I could tell each piece of him was only one fifth of his full power."

Lloyd frowned. "I still can't imagine Luna and Aska were only at half power when we fought them. They were tough!" Colette nodded in agreement, remembering the battle herself.

"Aska, did you find out what that dark force was?" Kratos asked.

Aska nodded. _It was the one you called Zaichar. While remaining at the base of the tower, Zaichar somehow converted the usually neutral mana emanating from the planet into dead mana. We know not how he was able to accomplish this._ He replied.

"Thanks you two." Lloyd recalled them and shrugged. "Well, at least we learned some more about Zaichar."

Kratos nodded and opened the two front doors as both he and his son entered with their swords drawn. The doors opened with a creaking sound that echoed throughout the entire bottom floor of the tower. Just as before mostly books filled the room, lining up on the shelves on either side of the lobby. In its center was the oracle stone Colette had initially used to get deeper inside the Seal of Light.

The angel noticed it was darker than the last time they were there and that only made him more suspicious. The group stuck close to each other as they looked around for any signs of movement. Kratos himself noticed the two doors leading into the other sections of the tower were closed. "It appears the tower has reset itself." It was amazing the tower stayed opened as long as it had when Lloyd and his group returned to break the last mana link.

Genis observed what he could with the given light, but shuttered none-the-less from the feeling of mana that was the same as the elven creature that attacked them earlier.

Lloyd nodded. "Okay, Kratos and I will investigate the other rooms while the Professor, Genis, and Colette stay behind to keep the door open. We'll do what we did before and open the second door when we get to the top and regroup at the top next to the warp point."

"Are you sure we should separate like that?" Raine asked carefully. She would ultimately go along with whatever the youth decided, recognizing long ago his innate ability to lead their group down the best path, but she would still question him along the way. It was the only way she could help him grow as his teacher.

Colette clasped his hands in front of her and shook her head. "What if another of those monsters is up there?" She rushed forward to Lloyd but tripped on something.

"Colette!" Lloyd exclaimed in worry.

Looking behind her, Colette saw a foot switch sticking out of the ground just behind the oracle stone. "Hey, was this here before?" She wondered as everyone gathered around.

Laughing Genis relaxed. "There goes Colette's luck again. Glad to have you along, Colette!" The girl giggled as she stood up and dusted off her clothes.

Raine smiled and observed the square switch with the light of her rod. "Maybe this will reveal where Zaichar hid himself all those years." Pressing it, the entire circle holding the oracle stone, and step switches for the other door, dropped down below the level of the lobby, revealing an identical staircase as up top, but this one lowered down into the depths of an unknown dungeon-like area.

"Wow Professor. You're not usually one for irrational action. I would've expected you to 'examine' it for a few hours more at least." Lloyd teased.

His punishment was quick and painful as Raine stood up and kicked him down to the ground. "I was _not_ being irrational." She stated, though not giving a reason for that hypothesis.

Kratos called out his wings and flew out into the open area between the staircases. "I will go down and see what I can find out. The rest of you walk down the stairs and take it slow until I return."

Lloyd watched him leave and didn't protest at all. He knew his father could carry his own when it came to sword fighting. "Okay gang, let's go."

The group made it about halfway when they heard a loud _crack_ and the sound of Kratos grunting in pain, which echoed all the way up to where they were. "Dad!" Lloyd exclaimed, calling forth his own wings and diving down into the abyss.

"Lloyd wait!" Colette flew after him, while Raine and Genis were forced to run down the remaining flights of stairs.

Lloyd landed at the base of the stairs where a door greeted him. There was light coming out of it, but not much, and he unsheathed his sword on approach just as Colette landed by his side. "Wait here."

"What? Why?" She wondered, having taken out her chakrams on the descent.

"Because until we find out what's going on here, running in blindly would just be plain stupid." He said then walked forward alone.

No sooner had he stepped one foot through the door when something metal flew around the corner, smacking him in the face. Crying out he fell to the ground grabbing his nose. "What the heck was that?" He exclaimed.

Genis and Raine joined them just as Colette knelt by Lloyd's side. "Was that the monster?" The angel-girl wondered.

Raine frowned. "It doesn't feel right." She commented.

Genis shook his head, but kept his kendama out all the same. "No, this is something different. Something…I've felt before." He said to his own surprise.

Lloyd recovered and stood up understandingly mad. "I'm going to beat the crap out of whatever just hit me!" He promised and entered the room again. This time he spun to face the direction in which the attack had come and Colette faced the other.

"I…don't see anything." She said.

Raine and Genis followed and saw a shadow dash across the area in front of them. "There it is!" Raine pointed as it disappeared again.

Lloyd looked over and saw his father's leg sticking out from under a pile of boxes. "Dad!" Rushing over, he lifted the boxes off him and the angel slowly grunted as he sat up. "What happened?"

Kratos rubbed the back of his sore head where he too had been dealt a similar blow. "I was ambushed." He slowly stood up and shook his head. "It would be easier to identify the perpetrator had we more light."

Raine complied and fed more of her mana into her mother of pearl stone to give the room more light. As the darkness slowly faded away, the group could see a laboratory of some sort. To the side was a large cage that could hold a dozen or so captives easily. The figure from before dashed across another row of tables and went into hiding again. "There it is again!"

This time Kratos was ready and cut the person off, raising his sword to scare them. When the person skidded to a halt in front of him, he was shocked to see it was an elven woman with long black hair and red irises staring back at him in surprise.

Frightened, the woman swung with her frying pan again, but the angel was quick to the draw and merely defected the blow. Using the woman's momentum against her, he spun her around and got her in an arm lock. "L-let me go!" She struggled out of the hold.

"Tell us who you are first." He kept his blade down to the side, not needing it to restrain one woman…or so he thought.

Gritting her teeth, the woman shouted out. "Fire! Banish the evil that threatens me!" Her entire body erupted in flame and the angel was forced to release her. Pushing away from him, she dashed out the door that was now left unguarded and made her way up the stairs.

"Stop her!" Kratos called out, patting out the flames on his arms and chest. Thankfully his leather like coat was fire resistant and he suffered no burns on his skin. He took off after the group and looked up as Lloyd flew to intercept the woman.

Landing in front of her, he held his sword out to stop her.

She skidded to a halt and raised a hand. "Wind! Protect me and form an impregnable barrier!" Gusts of wind swirled around from her feet and surrounded her in a sphere. Strangely her ankle length hair stayed calm by her side, while Lloyd could barely kept steady on the stone steps and was forced to take to the air a little ways away.

"We're not going to hurt you!" He shouted. "Just tell us who you are and where Zaichar went off to!"

Eyes going wide upon hearing the name Zaichar, the woman spun around and chanted, "Water! Sea serpent come forth!" A funnel of water in the shape of a snake flew out when she faced Lloyd once more and he was thrown against the far end of the underground tower.

Kratos saw this and took to the air, digging into his pockets for a small tied off bag. When the woman saw him approach, she turned and made ready to repeat the attack, but the angel acted quickly and threw the powder from the bag over her. The sleeping potion worked quickly, not being deflected by the wind, and she collapsed downwards where he caught her.

Lloyd flew over to where Colette and the halflings had already joined Kratos' side. "What's an elven doing all the way down here? Is she a part of Heimdall?"

"It's possible." Raine said after a moment. "Perhaps we should take her back to the house and ask her when she awakens."

"What so she can hit me with the frying pan again?" Lloyd crossed his arms. "It's too dangerous. I say we wait up top in the lobby, or maybe by the doors, or maybe…"

"The home will be fine." Kratos cut him off as he flew back up the stairs once more, the woman asleep in his arms.

Lloyd was shocked and his mouth dropped open in disbelief. "But…"

Genis came up to him and patted him on the back. "Come on Lloyd, admit it. You deserved it."

Colette shrugged her shoulders in mild agreement. "You could've been nicer to her when asking for her name."

The group walked up the stairs to follow Kratos, leaving Lloyd behind to mope. "_They_ weren't the ones who were hit up side their skull like I was." He continued to cross his arms in a pout as he followed drudgingly behind.

_Meltokio Castle_

"I hate to admit it, but we were lucky. The tension was so high it could've ended up a lot worse." Sheena paced lightly. The group had met in Regal's room after the representatives left and began to share information. Carbuncle was slightly upset about being left behind during the meeting, but now that she was reunited with her mistress, she was bouncing happily once more. "Those idiots from Sybak just don't understand they're not thinking just for themselves anymore. What happens to one of us, happens to all of us. If one of us falls, we all fall. Of course the absence of Heimdall didn't help either."

"I did notice that earlier. Didn't the elder say they would send a representative?" Regal asked.

"Unfortunately the people of Heimdall have all gone missing." Sheena explained. "The village is still there, but the people either evacuated or were kidnapped. We haven't figured out which it is yet. And last I heard Genis and Raine were headed over in that direction. I hope they're all right."

Zelos stood up. "Unfortunately we have more problems than just Heimdall." He turned to Regal and Presea. "I heard some rumors around the castle of a small group of Martel worshippers on their pilgrimage - maybe four or five - that have been telling some disturbing information to people in the villages they pass through."

Chief Igaguri nodded, having heard the same thing. "Some say they were told the disappearance of the elves is because a group of humans kidnapped them in order to use them against the increasing number of half-elves. While others say they heard it was the half-elves who have them in order to force the elves to teach them more powerful magic in order to fight the humans."

Presea was quite disturbed by this. "Rumors like this are what started the Ancient War." She looked to Regal. "And it is doubtful that followers of Martel would actually say things like that."

"Why would anyone want to start a war?" Carbuncle wondered.

Regal sighed as the problems continued to mount. "Unfortunately those on the journey of enlightenment in the name of Martel are highly looked upon and most of those they speak to will take their words as truth."

"I propose Sheena and I head to the different villages to try and track this particular group down." Zelos said to Regal. "Since you and Presea still have a working Rheaird, you can search other villages more quickly and we can hopefully bring this down to a low simmer before an all out war destroys the peace."

"Actually…I'm afraid Regal and Presea would be on their own for a while." Sheena interrupted. "Zelos and I have other business to attend to." When she saw her chief start to question, she pleaded with him as she met his gaze, and he nodded understandingly.

"That's right. I will order my informants to track down these Martel followers in your place, Sheena." He offered with a nod.

Zelos frowned, but decided to leave it for later. He found his breathing was getting increasingly difficult, but he didn't want to make a scene, so he kept quiet and coughed to cover it up. Underneath his clothes he could feel his wounds burning - having yet to heal - and his body responded by breaking out in a small sweat. This wasn't the first of these attacks, in fact he'd experienced a similar one while returning from Iselia to report to Sheena. Needing to take a breather had been the reason why he warrior returned so late back to camp. But thankfully, these episodes were short lived and fleeting, so he could endure. Carbuncle tilted her head at Zelos suspiciously, but he turned away nervously.

Regal turned to Presea and held out his hands. "Well Presea? I myself feel if this is left unchecked, the next World Council meeting could turn out to be even worse."

The girl nodded solemnly. "Agreed. We will have to return to Altamira for the rheaird, but it will be a short distance to Luin, Asgard, and even Hima from there."

"Also keep your ears open for anything concerning an Omega or a man named Zaichar." Sheena thought to mention.

Regal frowned. "Do they have something to do with the elves?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure. We don't know enough yet, but keep it in mind all the same."

Regal nodded. "All right."

"Then it's settled." Chief Igaguri said. Looking over at Sheena, he gave her an encouraging smile. "Good luck, Sheena."

She bowed as he turned to leave. "Thank you, Grandfather."

_Lake Umacy_

Kratos watched over the elven female very carefully as Colette and Lloyd handled Genis and Raine's wounds to see how they were healing. When the angel was walking around in the basement room, he hadn't sensed anything out of the ordinary and it surprised him someone could get the jump on him like that. What was more extraordinary was when the woman saw he was an angel and proceeded to fight him anyways, smacking him behind the head with her…weapon of choice.

The fashion she wore, a long dark purple dress layered with lavender lace, was unique for the elves of today and he suspected her to be at least five hundred years old at least. Even in elven years she looked magnificently young.

Moaning, the woman slowly opened her eyes and woke up from the sleeping spell. Upon seeing Kratos, she tensed up and jerked away.

"You have nothing to fear." He said in a gentle voice. "We won't hurt you." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Besides, the passion flower dust you inhaled will leave you groggy for another hour at least."

Knowing he was right, the woman laid back down against the couch and watched Kratos suspiciously. "Why have you taken me prisoner?"

"We should be asking you why _you_ attacked us first!" Lloyd entered the room upon hearing the two talking.

"I…" She paused. "I thought you were someone else. It was merely in self defense."

"The techniques you use…" Kratos theorized. "It is of the Elemental Clan, is it not?"

Frowning, the woman was surprised he knew her race. "You…know about my clan?" Sighing, she remembered when there used to be others like herself. Now it was like a lost art. "I don't know about many of us are left, but you're very knowledgeable, angel."

"Hey, he's got a name ya know." Lloyd sat in one of the chairs. He was obviously still upset about her hitting him unknowingly.

Kratos eyed Lloyd warningly, but turned to the woman once more. "My name is Kratos."

"Second in command of Cruxis?" She tensed up again. "But your blood is human."

"It's a long story, but Cruxis has fallen. Lord Yggdrasill is dead." Kratos updated her.

"That's a relief."

"He told you his name, so why not introduce yourself?" Lloyd half demanded.

Glaring at him, the woman replied, "Children so young should learn to speak when spoken to."

Lloyd stood up mad, but Kratos stood up and held out a hand. "If you cannot restrain yourself, you can wait outside."

"What? What if he tries to roast you again?" Lloyd warned.

"She won't. She knows we are not a threat to her and she to us." His father replied calmly. "The choice is yours. Outside or inside. It matters not to me."

Lloyd pouted and sat down, upset at how easily Kratos had filled the father role of his life so quickly and easily.

When Kratos sat down and turned to the elf once more, she swallowed hard. "My name is Luccia (Loo-see-a). I was an assistant to Zaichar for the past nineteen years." She finally relented to saying.

"Nineteen years? You were down beneath the Tower of Mana for that long?" Lloyd gasped in surprise. Just then Colette came in and took a seat in the other chair.

Getting sad, Luccia pulled up her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. "It wasn't by choice exactly."

"A slave then?" Kratos asked.

"No, I chose to be there…but only until Zaichar kept his promise to…" She quieted again, closing her eyes in grief.

"It's okay. If we can, we'll find a way to help you." Colette offered.

Opening her eyes, the elven wiped away her tears as they cascaded down her soft smooth cheeks. "Many years ago, so long I've almost forgotten, I fell in love with a man…a human man. As you can probably guess our relationship was…frowned upon. When I had my daughter, the elder warned me if I did not get rid of the child, I would be exiled."

"That's horrible!" Colette gasped in disbelief. The man she knew certainly had changed a lot over the centuries, if it was indeed the same elder leader.

"One day my love and daughter went to Altamira to gather supplies. The elder came to my home…and threw me out of my village…my home." Choking down a sob in memory, Luccia struggled to continue. "When I was traveling through Gauracchia Forest on my way to meet them, I was attacked by a monster. Back then I wasn't as strong in my abilities and was severally wounded. Zaichar found me and brought me to the Tower of Mana. When I was well enough, Zaichar promised to help me find my family if I helped him conduct his experiments with exspheres."

"And I'm guessing he has yet to keep his word." Kratos finished for her.

Luccia shook her head. "He made me help him commit unholy acts against my own people, and still I have yet to find my love…or hold my daughter in my arms again."

Kratos handed her a handkerchief from her coat and she graciously took it to wipe away her newly formed tears. "You speak of the villagers of Heimdall then?"

Luccia nodded. "Using his dark powers, he changed regular exspheres into black ones and placed them on the elves' hands." Shivering at the memory, she forced herself to continue, a form of punishment to herself. "They twisted and warped, becoming hellish creatures with no mercy and no intelligence at all."

"Did he succeed in changing them all?" Lloyd asked.

Luccia shook her head. "No, he didn't need to. He recently had the remaining Angels of Cruxis, I'm assuming, pledge their loyalty to him and he used - what he calls Darkspheres - on them. I did not see the result of that particular experiment." She once again hung her head in sadness.

Kratos thought about the new information for a bit. "As I suspected, the dark power was connected to the creature the others ran into at the tower, but I did not know about the angels. If he has all of the angels from Welgaia, he has a large army now with which to wage his own war."

"Do you know where Zaichar went to after he left the Tower of Mana?" Lloyd asked.

Luccia shook her head. "No. I know he has a separate base somewhere else, but I never left the basement of the tower, so I can't imagine where it would be."

Colette clasped her hands in front of her as she stood up. "Maybe if we take you to Kamai he would know about your daughter!" She offered, getting a shocked expression from Luccia. "He takes care of half-elves in the Gauracchia Forest. I'm sure he'd be able to help you find her."

Luccia sat up in disbelief. "D-did you just say, Kamai? As in Kamaitachi from Mizuho?"

Frowning, Colette replied, "I'm not really sure. But we can take you there, right Lloyd? Kratos?"

"It isn't too far away from here, but it will take us time to get there." Kratos said.

"I say let's do it. We can't leave her here for Zaichar to find and we can't take her with us. Where better to let her start her new life?" Lloyd reasoned.

Everyone agreeing, they gathered Genis and Raine after some extra rest and filed outside. Kratos raised the barrier to protect his home until his return. Luccia, upon realizing that Genis and Raine had been injured because of the dark elf, bowed low. "I apologize for your injuries. It is partially my fault things like that exist."

Raine shook her head. "We heard about your family and can understand well your pain. We too were exiled from Heimdall for being what we are."

Luccia nodded, but still felt bad. "If I can ever repay the kindness you have shown me, please tell me." When they nodded, she looked to Kratos. "Are you ready, Lord Kratos?"

"Please, no need for such formality. I am no longer an Angel of Cruxis."

Nodding, she held up a hand over her head. "I call upon the element wind to carry us to Gauracchia Forest! Wind, I summon thee!" A giant ball of wind began to form around the group, starling them, but it was soon apparent they were in no real danger. Slowly everyone was lifted into the air and carried over the mountains just outside Luin.

Lloyd, though used to flying, was swallowing hard in order to keep from loosing his lunch. "This is…interesting."

"Frightened?" Kratos asked amused. He – unlike the youth – was perfectly calm, sitting cross-legged in the air bubble.

"O-of course not." Lloyd replied in a huff. Folding his arms, he sat down and mirrored Kratos' form. "There's nothing I can't handle."

Luccia saw this out of the corner of her eye and smirked. So like her Kamai: stubborn to the end. She only prayed to the Goddess Martel it was her Kamai that waited within the dark forest of Gauracchia. Perhaps her sweet daughter was still with him, and she could be whole once more.


	11. Powerful Emotions

Powerful Emotions

_"Dwarven Vow #14: Nothing that's easy is worth it and anything worth it isn't easy."_

_Just Outside Meltokio City Limits_

Sheena stopped by the Belteon so quickly to pick up some extra pineapple medicinal gels and made ready to leave the city that Zelos was getting increasingly frustrated. She even left Carbuncle struggling behind with him. "Sheena, wait." When she ignored him, he pulled her by her shoulder and spun her around to face him. "Okay, I don't know when you started your 'girl time', but we need to have a talk and we need to have it now. Where are we going and why are you acting like the world's gonna end again?"

"Is something wrong, Sheena?" Carbuncle squeaked.

Sheena's initial reaction was to glare at him, but then she got sad and looked away from his fierce azure gaze. "Do you remember that favor I said you owed me for going to Iselia? Well, it's time to pay up. You are going to act as my observer."

Frowning, Zelos released her shoulder. "Observer? For what?"

Sighing, Sheena looked back at him. "For when I fight Kuchinawa at the Isle of Decision."

Zelos nearly fell over in shock. "What? You're still willing to fight him and throw your life away?"

"I made a promise, okay! If I don't go, he'll destroy Corinne's bell and I won't let that happen!" She shouted in anger. "I don't want to fight him either, but he has every right to blame me for his parents' death! I was afraid the first time I faced Volt and because of that fifteen of our people perished that day."

"Sheena, think about what you're saying! Your life has more meaning than that! Didn't you learn anything back in Derris-Kharlan?" Zelos tried to convince her.

"Of course I did! I learned that my life does have meaning. It always did and you were one of the people who helped me see that!" She looked away. "But I also have to know that Kuchinawa's parents had meaning too and I took that away from him, indirectly or not."

"No, I won't let you do it." Zelos crossed his arms. "I won't just stand by and watch you fight. I mean, you expect me to do _nothing_ to help!" Zelos couldn't put into words his feelings that night at the Otherworldly Gate. They'd gone there in order to retrieve Raine which, when it came to women, Zelos wasn't one to complain. But he'd almost lost something more valuable to him under the star studded sky and full moon. His childhood companion had volunteered to be killed because of her guilt and the Chosen had been forced to interject in order to save her life.

_"Enough of this Sheena!"_ He remembered shouting out in frustration. Grabbing her by the arm, he practically dragged her through the portal as soon as it opened. He never expected to be leaving Tethe'alla in such a manner, but he'd be damned if he would stand by and let Kuchinawa kill Sheena right before his eyes.

Now Sheena was asking him to _observe_ her fight with the ninja? When one fell, he would declare the winner, but by then it might be too late. He would have lost his chance to tell her how he felt. Not only that, he would have to continue life without her. Earlier when they'd recovered from their fall in Sylvarant, Sheena demanded to know why he'd interfered. Of course he couldn't just say 'cause I love you and don't want to lose you'. So instead he stated the facts behind her reckless decision. She, as well as everyone else, bought his words and she ended up apologizing.

"Damn it, Sheena! Don't do this to me!" He exclaimed before he could stop himself.

Sheena blinked as she heard the words and frowned. "W-what?"

Cursing under his breath, Zelos turned away upset. "Come on, you can't expect to have stuck together this long, through thick and thin, and not mean something to me."

Touched by his words, yet bound by a promise of her own, Sheena began feeling guilty. "Look I appreciate you looking out for me. But I…this is just something I have to do. Besides, there isn't anyone else I would rather have by my side to see me safely through this than you." She smiled warmly and rubbed his back until he turned to her. "And it's not like I'm not gonna try. I've got a fighting chance, don't I?"

When Zelos saw her place her hand on her hip and pose confidently in front of him, he couldn't help but smile. "Yeah you do. I actually feel a little bad for Kuchinawa." He teased back. Carbuncle perked up and ran up to Zelos' shoulder again, except this time, he didn't seem to mind.

Even though his every being told him to confess right then and there, to kiss her and show her all the love he had to give and then some, he knew her stubbornness would win out. She was gonna fight Kuchinawa no matter what he said.

At least this way, he could be there for her and watch over her until hopefully this ended up just a bad memory. Maybe on the way he'd spare with her, brush her up on her skills. If he couldn't fight the battle for her, then he could at least prepare for her for the worst. He didn't know how good Kuchinawa was, but being from Mizuho was one aspect going for him. Zelos only knew he had to make sure Sheena was better.

_Gauracchia Forest_

Luccia set the group down outside the orphanage and no sooner had the winds died down, than the boy Kokoro came out to investigate. He relaxed slightly when he saw it was Lloyd and Colette, but upon seeing the elven female, he was in shock. "You…have the eyes of the fire ruby and hair as black as night…could it be…?" He spoke in awe.

Luccia gave a small nod, but dare not hope yet. "Please, bring him to me."

"O-of course!" Kokoro jetted back inside, leaving the rest of the group in bewilderment.

Colette turned to Luccia and asked, "Have you been here before, Luccia?"

The elf shook her head. "No, I have not." Was all she said.

Kratos began to formulate an idea where this was going, but kept quiet in case he was wrong. On the third floor balcony, the man who had captured Colette and Lloyd ran to the railing separating him from them and visibly paled. "L-Luccia?"

The elven female broke into tears as a smile crossed her face. "Yes, Kamai. I am here." Her throat constricted, making further words inaudible.

Without hesitation, Kamai jumped from the balcony and stopped before the elven elemental, skillfully recoiling his legs to cushion his landing. The two stood mere feet apart, but neither moved. "Can it be? After nearly two decades, you have returned to me?"

Luccia clasped her hands and nodded, the tears still flowing. "Oh Kamai!" She rushed into his arms and the two embraced. Lost lovers had found each other again. Tilting her chin upwards, Kamai kissed her with a lifetime's worth of love and passion.

Colette began misting up as well at the happy sight, but Lloyd merely shook his head in confusion. "Okay, I don't know about any of you, but I'm a little lost." He admitted.

Kamai laughed and pulled away from the kiss, but refused to see Luccia leave his arms for even a moment. "I am most grateful to you for returning Luccia to me. Please allow me to explain." He offered. "Our relationship was not wildly accepted, as you can expect, and one day when I returned from Altamira with our daughter, the village elder told me Luccia had been exiled and we were no longer allowed within the borders of Heimdall." Kamai looked down at Luccia and gave her a quick peck on the top of her forehead before continuing. "I immediately went to Mizuho to seek her there…when I was attacked by another. He called himself Zaichar and he used powerful dark arts against which I could not stand a chance."

Luccia gasped, as well as everyone else. "Zaichar attacked you?" She began tearing up again. "Oh my love, I am so sorry. I am to blame for it all."

Kamai shook his head. "Nonsense. I could never blame you." He assured her. Turning back to everyone else, he finished his story. "While I was still barely conscious, he took my daughter and said she would be perfect for his experiment. That was the last I ever saw of her…"

"So you set up this orphanage in hopes of finding her." Lloyd concluded.

"B-but…there was no such baby at the tower, nor have I ever heard him talking about it." Luccia said in disbelief.

"You were with him?" Kamai questioned.

Looking away, Luccia replied, "As I said before, I am sorry. While trying to see you in Altamira, I was attacked right here within these forested walls. Zaichar saved me and nursed me back to health, promising to help me find you and our baby if I helped him…"

Kamai held her from behind and squeezed her close. "I understand, darling. Do not worry. Perhaps she still lives…" It was amazing to see how much the man had changed after being reunited with his love once again. It was understandable now why he was so secretive and sad before.

"What was her name? Maybe we've met her before." Colette offered.

"We not dare speak her true name, as per Mizuho tradition, but her other name was…"

"Attack." A voice ordered. Suddenly dark angels appeared from all sides, coming out from behind trees and out of the sky. "Lord Zaichar will not accept your failure this time. Capture the half-angel...and kill the rest."

Lloyd gasped and looked up, seeing Yuan flying in the center of the angel army. "Y-Yuan! What are you doing here?"

Already the angel spellcasters were powering up their magic attacks and Kratos withdrew his sword in preparation. "We do not have time to be asking such questions, Lloyd." He advised.

Gasping, Kamai ran towards the building. "The children! We must get them safely away!"

Luccia narrowed her eyes and they immediately turned pure white. "You foul creatures will not harm these people!" She shouted. The wind around her began to pick up and she was lifting into the air parallel to Yuan and the four angels guards around him. "You will leave now or face the consequences!"

Already Raine had her staff out and was chanting a spell. Genis had his kendama out and was gathering up his mana in case they refused.

"Why Yuan?" Colette shouted, chakrams at hand.

Not even recognizing her, Yuan raised a hand and aimed a mana blast at the angel-girl. "All those who oppose Zaichar will perish."

Lloyd grit his teeth and took to the air, his wings instantly appearing behind him as he charged with both elemental blades at the former Angel of Cruxis. "I won't let Zaichar do as he pleases! And if you've decided to side with him, then you're our enemy!"

"Lloyd no, wait!" Kratos flew after his son. He knew Lloyd did not possess the needed skills to stand up against his friend and companion. Lloyd succeeded in defeating Kratos during thier dual because the two had traveled together, learned the other's moves and weaknesses. That was not the case with Yuan and battling a butterfly sword was a lot different than fighting a single wielding swordsman.

"Spirits of Mana, create a merciless energy vortex from which there is no escape and banish thy evil spirits before me! Thunder Wave!" Luccia's eyes crackled with sparks of electricity, as well as other parts of her body, but none of it seemed to effect her as she threw her arm out in a wide sweeping motion. A wave similar to Genis' Tidal Wave flew out and threw back all four angels surrounding Yuan. The angel himself blocked the attack with a twirl of his weapon, dispersing the energy harmlessly away from him.

On the ground, Raine finished casting her spell and raised her rod to the sky shouting, "I grant thee protection behind shields of light! Barrier!" Crystallized mana shields surrounded everyone present, protecting them from harm.

Lloyd ignored his father's words and rushed into fight Yuan, not believing the angel was himself at the moment. Yuan, had risked more than he realized when he began helping the small ragtag group to overthrow Mithos. Especially when he was still working for the angel-lord. "Are you just going to throw away everything you fought for all those years? Are you going to give in to this bastard and let him control you? Answer me Yuan!" Lloyd slashed once with one blade, then spun and slashed with the other.

Kratos flew over to aide his son and began battling Yuan from another angle. Both father and son gave it all they had, but the angel blocked all their attempts. Kratos was surprised Lloyd could rationally come to understand that the Yuan they fought now was not the same Yuan they'd seen at the Renegade Base. Now Kratos understood why Kiga was worried about his leader. While he fought, Kratos could see Yuan's cruxis crystal was as black as the exsphere he'd seen on Zaichar. Perhaps one could be controlled by a darksphere. If they found a way to purify it, they would stand a chance of saving _their_ Yuan.

Back on the ground, Genis chanted his spell against his own adversaries. "Engulf this pathetic soul! Ground dasher!" He would have preferred to use fire, but with all the trees around, it was too much of a risk. Rocks came up out of the ground and went hurling towards the angel spellcasters, but it was too late.

"End of the line! Dark Sphere!" The angel shouted before it was attacked by the rocks and knocked back.

A black orb appeared around Genis and he immediately felt his body on fire with the dark mana. "It's…just like before…" He said through gritted teeth.

"Genis! Photon!" Raine banished the attack with light magic of her own and Genis was freed. Crying out, Genis felt even more pain from the light energy than before with the black sphere. Raine came running over to him and knelt by his side. "Are you alright? Here, Recover!"

Genis took deep breaths and tried to fight down his fear. _W-what's happening to me…?_

In the depths of the forest, red irises revealed a hidden enemy that would not be attacking today. Smirking, she raised her metal claws and licked them as she began formulating a plan. "The darkness if a powerful force one cannot fight. You will learn that in time, little Genis. You will learn…" Then she faded into the forest once more.

_Mizuho_

Zelos and Sheena arrived in Mizuho faster than the former Chosen expected, the ninja's pace giving them no time to spare or plan for this daring move. "Sheena," Zelos said as they approached the front gates of her home village. "You don't have to fight him right away, you know. Rest a little bit, gather your mana before going to the Isle of Decision. You won't get a second chance at this." He warned.

"He's right Sheena. You should get a bite to eat or maybe take a nap!" Carbuncle agreed.

"I know, I know!" She sighed. Pulling out a necklace she had around her neck, she looked at it sadly. It was her friend's charm of protection. He gave it to her back when they'd been marked traitors by the Pope and King of Tethe'alla. "But Kuchinawa's been waiting there a long time. I was supposed to go there right after curing Colette, but with everything that happened with you and Mithos, I never got the chance. Then we went to Meltokio and I later found out about Heimdall. Everything's been moving so fast, I just…"

"I understand." He soothed. "But you can't push yourself too hard. You'll be asking to lose if you do." _And I don't want that to happen…_ He thought sadly.

"Thanks, but I think I'm alright. Just nervous." She forced a smile. "Come on. I have to speak with the chief and get us a boat up river." She said, then turned her back and walked to Igaguri's hut.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Carbuncle asked the warrior sadly.

"I hope so..." Zelos stood there a moment, watching her walk away. _Will I really be able to protect you from this one Sheena? Is being this 'observer' the best thing I can do for you?_ Zelos wondered about his decision._ Please Martel, protect her where I can't seem to. Don't let her die on that island. Don't let her leave my side…ever…!_

Lloyd met Yuan's eyes and thought back to all he learned about the man before him. Just as Kratos had struggled with the death of Anna, Lloyd knew Yuan had gone through the same torment with the death of Martel. He knew the passion one goes through for someone they love, recognizing it from himself and his own struggle to save Colette from loosing her soul. Yuan was not a man who would do this, turn on his friends and fight to kill them. "Yuan! Listen to me!" He said between blocks and parries. "Would Martel want you to be doing this? Wouldn't she want you to help protect the elves, humans and those souls caught in between, as per her last wish?"

Kratos gasped when Lloyd spoke these words. As per Yuan's request, Kratos had never spoken a word about his friend's love for Martel and kept it a secret, but his son had figured it out on his own. Perhaps the leader of the Renegades did not hide it as well as he thought. "Lloyd, be careful! Do not distract yourself from the battle or you will fail!"

"I _won't_ fail! I haven't come all this way to die now!" He replied in determination.

"Capture son of Kratos. Capture the half-angel." Yuan spoke quietly. When the former Seraphim Angel of Cruxis intervened once more, Yuan raised his lower blade and its edges glowed black. Kratos tried to dodge the attack, but the tainted edges seemed to singe his wings and make flying difficult. The angel felt no pain as the wings partially dissolved as if touched by acid and tried once again to defend his son. Yuan, without showing anger of any sort, kicked his friend and Kratos went tumbling down into the forest below.

Trying to steady himself as he spun, Kratos ran into tree limps and branches that cut up his clothes and skin. Finally widening his wings, Kratos managed to slow his descent and looked up through the foliage to see his son still battling the angel. "Things cannot be allowed to go on like this." Looking over at Raine and Genis as they battled, the angel got an idea. "Raine! Fire your Photon at Yuan!" He commanded.

The half-elven scholar heard the order and nodded in compliance. As mana charged up around her, Genis thought to buy her some time. "I call upon the power of the holy blades! Prism Sword!" Almost needed no time to cast the spell, Genis released the powerful attack on three other angels behind them. Seeing them squirm and cry out under his power, Genis… smirked in elation.

Colette was fighting one of the angel warriors and spun around to deliver a blow to his face. "Leave now if you wish to spare your life!" Twirling around, she released her chakrams and controlled them with her mana. "Ray whirlwind!" The two disks spun around her, cutting up the guard multiple times until he retreated. His black feathers, falling off his wings like dying leaves from a tree, trailed behind him in his wake.

Still floating in midair, Luccia called forth another elemental and raised her hands in the air. "Mother Earth lend my thy power and crush my enemies!" Above her a large boulder formed and throwing her hands forward, she threw the boulder at an angel guard in front of her and he went barreling into the forest below. Unable to get out from beneath it, he was crushed against the forest floor.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Raine shouted, having put more power into the attack than normal in order to make it effective against the angel. "Light! Photon!" Raising her staff, she attacked Yuan high in the sky, just as the angel landed a hit across Lloyd chest.

Both cried out, but Yuan doubled over, while Lloyd struggled to stay in midair, holding his gushing wound. "Yuan! You have to fight it!" He pleaded.

Yuan cried out and threw a hand forward, assaulting Lloyd with a dark energy ball. The attack came at the youth suddenly and already wounded, he could neither dodge nor block. The attack struck him and it felt as though his body had been surrounded by a raging fire.

Kratos saw his son get injured and willed his wings to fly him up to his side instantly. "Lloyd! Are you alright?"

Lloyd grimaced with one eye closed, but nodded. "Yeah, I think I'll live." Sheathing one sword, Lloyd dug into his pocket and pulled out a golden ring band with a shaking hand. On the inside were engraved the initials: _Y and M._ "Yuan, you lost this a long time ago, back at Hima. I think it's time it was returned to you."

Kratos saw the ring and gasped. "Martel's ring…!"

Yuan moaned and slowly sat back up again, his cruxis crystal its natural blue one more. "M-Martel…?" Feeling Zaichar trying to take control once more, Yuan cried out. "Lloyd, destroy me! I'm not strong enough to hold out against his dark power for very much longer!"

"N-no! You are stronger than this!" Lloyd countered. "You protected Martel for almost 1,000 years and put your life on the line to see her soul freed from its prison!"

Kratos nodded, while still half supporting his son. "Martel loves you, but she knows it is not your time yet. There is still much we must do…much that we must _both_ atone for."

Lloyd tried to fight down his nausea as he glided forward and held out the ring for Yuan. "Take it. It's proof of you and Martel's love for each other. If you don't want to live for yourself anymore, live for her - a life that was ended before it had the chance to blossom."

Yuan smiled in painful memory and reached up with an equally shaky hand as the boy placed it back on his finger. "Martel…" Doubling over again, Yuan's body jerked straight and a dark ominous spiritual cloud flew out of his body and began twirling around him.

In the smoke, Kratos could see the same face as back on that day. "It's Zaichar!" He shouted. The face wasn't of the perpetrator, but it was the reason for his powers.

Howling, the spirit flew through Lloyd - making the boy cry out in pain - and began making its escape. "The summon spirits _will_ be mine!"

"Oh Holy One, cast thy purifying light upon this corrupt soul. Light of Judgment!" Colette called forth the light of the heavens, but the black cloud avoided being hit and disappeared into the distance.

Yuan felt fatigued, his forehead dripped with sweat while he tried to catch his breath. Feeling impossibly weak, he closed his eyes and fell unconscious in midair.

"Wind! Support this exhausted soul as he passes into the land of dreams." Luccia chanted softly. A small bed of wind formed underneath Yuan, making it so he didn't fall.

Kratos already had Lloyd's ragged body, but he had yet to sigh with relief. On the ground, Raine and Genis looked up to see what was going on, while Colette placed her chakrams back on her hips once more.

Lloyd shook with pain and bit his lip to keep from crying out.

"Lloyd! What's the matter?" Kratos asked his son.

Luccia came over and looked concerned over the youth. "What affects him is not of this realm. He needs special treatment." She diagnosed. "You should return to Mizuho. Their healer will know what to do."

Kratos nodded. "Thank you for your help." Unfortunately for them, he doubted he'd be able to make the flight all the way to the ninja village with his tattered wings and it would be unsafe for Colette to go alone. So they would be forced to travel by land.

Nodding with a smile, Luccia lowered Yuan to the ground. "I will remain here if you ever need anything. I will also look over your friend until he regains consciousness. Perhaps Kamai and myself will be able to find our daughter...someday."

"I wish you luck." The angel replied before lowering down to the ground with Lloyd. Lloyd was not exactly unconscious, but he wasn't in any condition to travel. To the others Kratos said, "We will travel through the forest to Mizuho and rest there. With Zaichar attacking in the open, I fear his plans are just beginning to come into play. We must hurry."

_Isle of Decision_

Zelos gripped the rod he used to push the boat through the river and tried to fight down his nervousness as they got closer to the Isle of Decision. He knew he should have faith in Sheena's abilities, but his heart wouldn't stop pounding. Gripping the steering rod was the only thing he could to keep from protesting further. Even Carbuncle snuggled up against Zelos' leg sadly. If Sheena lost the fight, the guardian would return to the realm in which the summon spirits and guardians slept until called upon.

Sheena sat more near the bow of the boat with her knees against her chest. Coming here reminded her of so many things. Kuchinawa and herself sparring to see who was the better ninja; practicing with new techniques against each other. She'd never seen such anger in his eyes than when he blamed her for what happened at Volt's Tower. It pained her deeply that her once friend now hated her with such passion.

While she thought of her friend-turned-adversary, she also thought of the friend she still had behind her. She knew Zelos' anger was bred from his concern for her and quite honestly, she couldn't be happier. She never thought she meant so much to the 'player from Meltokio'.

_I guess I should've seen it after he came back to get me at the Tower of Salvation…_

_Tower of Salvation_

The group dashed across the abyss just as the large plant-like creature awakened to block off their path. "Whoa!" Lloyd gasped and jumped back. "This thing won't let us through!" He exclaimed.

Sheena ran to his side. "Hang on! This looks like leftovers from earlier."

"You mean…one of the Great Tree's…"

Looking at it up and down, she nodded in confirmation. Parts of the tree glowed green with the unnatural energy that had spawned it, while other limbs were a deep black - rotting from the inside out. "Yep, no doubt about it. Leave this to me." Raising her hand, she called out. "Disciple of Everlasting Ice!" With blue mana swirling, Celsius appeared in all her icy glory. "Hammer of Godly Thunder!" No longer afraid, the round, dangerous and powerful Volt prepared to serve his mistress. "Servant of Mother Earth!" Gnome hopped into action with his little shovel. "Envoy from the Dark Abyss!" Darkness appeared but remained silent as always.

Everyone stayed quite as Sheena commanded the spirits. "I command thee! Gatherest before me and unleash thine power!" Dispersing into energy, Sheena could feel the mana from the four summon spirits of Tethe'alla fill her body and veins. Her heart beat faster and she had to struggle to catch her breath, but craftily hid this from the others.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Lloyd asked.

Already gathering the mana into her hands, Sheena forced a smile. "My impression of the mana cannon. Well, it won't be nearly as powerful, but it should be enough to take care of this thing. Lloyd! When I give the signal, run underneath it. Got it?"

"Alright, but what about you?" Lloyd asked concerned.

Sheena smiled, but covered it up. _It's sweet that he's worried._ "Don't worry. I'll be fine! Get ready, here we go!"

Feeling she was at max power, she pushed her hands forward together and shot the mana beam at the pulsating plant. Upon contact, it instantly retracted and shrieked in revulsion at the assault. "Now!"

Lloyd and the group ran underneath it and past her to the other side. Putting the last of her own energy into the attack, Sheena was blown back into the wall just as the plant collapsed into the chasm below. Only Lloyd skidded to a halt to see how the summoner fared. "Sheena, are you okay?"

Gathering herself off the floor, Sheena approached the edge. "Yeah…I'm all right."

Smirking, Lloyd said, "That was amazing!"

Sheena would've felt better had her head not been swimming in pain. "Yeah just don't ask me to do it again, okay?" She took a revitalizing deep breath. "That used up all my mana. I'm gonna rest for just a…" Out of the darkness, a vine from the plant grabbed onto Sheena's ankle and yanked her downwards. "Ahh!" At the last moment, she managed to grab a hold on a root growing out of the floor.

"Sheena!" She heard the swordsman shout. "Hang on! I'll…"

Not being able to hold it in, Sheena started laughing. _Just my luck…_

"Wh-what's wrong with you? Why are you laughing?" He asked.

Struggling to keep her hold as the plant threatened to pull her down, the ninja replied, "No, I…was just remembering the time when we first met. It looks like I have a strong affinity for falling into holes." _More than you know..._

Lloyd started around the hole. "Just hang on, I'll be right there…"

"Don't worry about me. Just hurry up and go and rescue Colette." She grunted with the effort as her grip loosened.

"This is not the time to act all tough!" Lloyd replied.

"I'm not acting. It's just like the last time when I climbed up from the bottom of that pit and took you on!" She said with more confidence than she felt. "And this time, I won't miss the main event."

"You better be telling the truth." He stared at her seriously.

"Of course! You better leave me a piece of the action." She replied in strained cheerfulness.

"…okay. I'll be waiting for you, you got that?" He made her promise as he followed everyone into the next room.

Letting her smile fade, Sheena forced her spinning vision to focus. "I'm so stupid. Stubborn to the very end…I _really_ need to start acting more feminine at times like this and let him rescue me." Then she scoffed. "Heh, that wouldn't be my style would it?" Releasing her hand and succumbing to the darkness, Sheena closed her eyes and felt herself falling. _Lloyd…good luck…_

A bright orange flash made her open her eyes and above her she could barely make out a silhouette and orange angel-wings coming down towards her. As the figure came closer, she made out the red hair and cerulean blue eyes and gasped in surprise. "It can't be…"

Zelos Wilder glided smoothly to the descending ninja's side and wrapped his arms underneath her legs and behind her back to steady her as he slowed her fall. Sheena knew she had her mouth hanging open, but she couldn't help it! Never before had the Chosen's mana glowed so brightly all around his form. And then the wings!

True she knew he'd accepted the oracle and received his cruxis crystal, but never began his journey of regeneration because Tethe'alla never fell into its decline. So Sheena, as close as she was to him, never witnessed his angelic wings.

"Y-you're…" She attempted over her shock.

"Shh…" He said soothingly as he flapped his see-through wings and flew them higher out of the chasm. "You did a lot back there. Let me take it from here." He held her closer as the darkness seemed endless.

"But you…"

He smiled and looked down at the girl in his arms as he softly rose back up to the top of the hole and set down once more. "I'll explain everything as we go. Right now we need to help Regal and the others." Putting her down on the ground, he looked intently into her eyes. "I'm not a traitor. I'm on your side…I always was. There's a reason for all of it..." He paused and broke his gaze. "I'm…sorry if I hurt you…"

Sheena had truly been hurt by Zelos' defection, but when he came back to save her when she needed him most, she forgave him and trusted him with every fiber of her being. Zelos would never betray his people…and he would never betray her. _Zelos…I'm sorry for putting you through this. When everything's over, and if I'm still alive, I'm gonna make it up to you. I promise._

Zelos pulled the small boat up to the shore of the island and looked up to see Kuchinawa approach them with narrowed eyes. "So, you finally decided to come." He said in a mocking voice.

"I always keep my word." Sheena replied sadly, then motioned to Zelos as he exited the boat with her. Carbuncle jumped in front of her mistress, just in case this guy tried anything. "Zelos will be acting as the observer on my behalf." She explained.

"Him? Very well." Walking forward as Sheena took her place in the clearing, Kuchinawa handed Corrine's bell to Zelos. As the observer, Sheena had explained that Zelos would hold onto the item to give to the 'winner' of the duel to do with as they pleased.

As Kuchinawa's hand touched the other warrior's, Zelos pulled him close as he whispered into his covered ear, "I swear, if anything happens to her, you can be assured my sword's gonna find it's way to your neck before her body touches the ground. Observer or not, I'm going to make sure you get a painful trip to hell where you belong." Zelos threatened, his voice low and menacing. "So go ahead, fight her. I want you to. Cause I'm looking forward to cutting up your remains and using them to feed to the sharks. You know sharks, don't you? The mighty killers of the ocean who turn on each other from time to time?"

Kuchinawa let out a small laugh as he pulled his hand away and turned from the swordsman. "Threats from the former Chosen? So _unholy_ coming from the leader of the Church of Martel. What happened? Get lazy and take the easy way out once again?"

Carbuncle was growling, her short blue fur standing on end, but could do nothing as her mistress had yet to command her. Giving the choice, she would fry this guy into jerky.

Zelos clenched one fist, being careful not to accidentally crush the precious bell in his other hand. "For your sake, I hope she wins, because your death by my hand is gonna be a hundred times more painful."

Kuchinawa scoffed and walked over to face off with his former friend. "This is where our people's suffering ends, Sheena."

Sheena met his vengeful gaze sadly. "I don't deny the fact that the lives of those fifteen are my fault, but I was only nine years old and had no idea what I was getting into when..."

"So now you blame your age? You'll find any way to come out of this the heroine, won't you?" Kuchinawa countered. "Enough talk. I will avenge our people by offering your life to them!"

"Damn it, Kuchinawa! Would you just listen to me?" Sheena pleaded.

"No! Observer, we start this now!" Kuchinawa poised for battle.

Sheena sighed and took out her cards, nodding to Zelos.

Looking down at Carbuncle, Zelos would see the little creature was just as worried as he was. "You may begin."

_Hima_

Regal and Presea checked into the traveler's inn at the mountain village of Hima. They had just crossed the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge, having been held by back technicalities and chattering politicians. The former king was thankful for their assistance with Sybak and asked that both be present when the next meeting was scheduled, even if Altamira elected another representative. Reluctantly both had agreed, not exactly knowing where their current investigation would lead them.

Now Presea sat on the bed and tried to plan their next move. So far none of the people they passed had heard anything about the group of Martel followers which made choosing their next city that much harder. "Where do you propose we go next?" She asked when he locked the door behind him.

Sighing as he took a seat on the other side of the bed, Regal thought about it before answering, "Well, from here Sybak and Luin are the closest..."

"And I do not look forward to traveling to Sybak after our previous encounter..."

"Nor do I. So Luin it is." Regal agreed. "Though I don't think Sybak intentionally targeted the World Council to start trouble, it is in their nature to go purely on fact."

"But what Zelos said was fact." Presea countered. "Does hearing it instead of witnessing it change that?"

"Well, for some seeing is believing. But with what we tried to tell them, they had to believe without seeing. Those raised in the sciences find believing - even in something as Martel - as impossible without the proven facts to support it." Regal tried to put it into words in which Presea might understand better. "If I were to tell you, you could fly if you just believed you could, what would you do?"

Tilting her head, Presea responded honestly, "I do not possess the ability to fly, even with the cruxis crystal, therefore it is an impossibility."

"Yes, but if I were to merely speak in contrary to that, could you believe it if it hadn't been proven or disproven yet?" He asked again.

Presea looked down and shrugged. "I guess I would find difficulty...in believing."

Regal saw her downtrodden expression and smiled, standing up. "Perhaps some fresh air would do us nicely right about now. How about we get a bite to eat downstairs and eat it on the cliff face above?"

Cheering up, Presea nodded with a smile. "That sounds like a good idea."

As the two came down the stairs, they heard the proprietor and his daughter speaking amongst themselves behind the counter. In the man's hands was a bag clinking with gald and on his face was a wide smile. "You know, usually those of Martel carry little with them during their pilgrimages, but this group was loaded!"

"Where are they now? They only stayed one night." His daughter asked.

"They went up above to use the dragons. Who cares where they're going next as long as they've paid us." The owner shrugged.

Exchanging looks, Regal and Presea walked smoothly passed the counter and outside. Presea looked back and forth trying to catch sight of the group, but they were nowhere to be seen. She had her ax on her back, but she would not withdraw it pointlessly in front of innocence travelers. "Do you think we are too late?"

Narrowing his eyes, Regal looked up to the high cliff still above them. "No, let's go to the top and see if they have yet to depart." Running around the inn, Regal and Presea rushed to catch up with the 'followers of Martel'. Once they rounded the corner, they ducked behind one of the boulders and tried to listen to anything the group said.

"Such missions are below us, are they not Megami?" One woman's voice asked.

Another of their group growled and an off metal scrapping could be heard. "Such words are likely to get you killed, naïve one. I would watch your forked tongue lest I relieve you of it."

The person from before bowed. "I am sorry, Mistress." They apologized.

One of the males of the group asked, "How long will we have to keep this up? Most of the humans and half-elves we've spoken to believe us unconditionally."

"This is true," The one called Megami replied. "Which is why we will be returning to the castle to tell Lord Zaichar of our progress."

"Soon all the lower forms of this weak planet will bow to us!" The male exclaimed.

"Tis a pity we must rely on their kind for transportation, though." The woman from before mentioned.

"Agreed." Megami shrugged.

Presea now took out her ask and nodded to Regal. "Now?"

"Now." Both jumped out from their hiding places and faced off with the cloaked group. "What does this Zaichar intend to do by spreading such foul rumors across the land?" Regal demanded.

There were five in all and only the center one turned towards the duo as she unveiled her hood. Presea and Regal gasped when they looked upon her face. Her eyes were bright silver and her skin as grey as ash. As she raised her hands amused, there were five metal claws attached to each finger, which she licked with a smile. Her ears revealed her race…she was elven! "What we speak of are not lies. We only wish to spread the truth so that all can see that Martel is no goddess. Would one with such power as she, leaves us to our fate? Would she turn the other cheek…if a war were to break out?" Her cheeks and the sides of her eyes were streaked with black paint, giving her a ghoulish complexion.

Presea shook her head. "The Goddess Martel _does_ exist. How else do you explain the Great Viscus Tree visible even from way out here?" She challenged.

Megami laughed and threw her head back as her companions snickered amongst themselves. "A tree proves her protection? Nonsense! A tree is no more invulnerable to the darkness of the human heart than those deemed different. Does your hope truly lie in a weak symbol such as that?"

"It is not weak! It's what provides everything with life!" Regal countered. "Even one such as yourself cannot deny that."

"And what do people do with the life they are given? They spend it spreading hellish rumors and turning against their neighbor out of fear. Weakness is everywhere and only one who is strong can control the populace." Megami flexed her claws. "Do two lowly humans like you plan to stop the Great Zaichar all by yourselves?"

"It seems fate has predestined our meeting. We will stop you here unless you promise to cease these malicious lies!" Regal did not want to openly fight this shady group if it could be avoided. The best battle was the one that could be avoided.

Megami opened her arms, revealing dozens of gold and silver bracelets on each wrist. "The damage is done. We need not do any more. The darkness will creep into every heart on the planet and they will turn on each other of their own accord. _That_ is their fate."

"We will not allow that to happen!" Presea swore. "We will protect this land, our home, with all of our will and strength!"

"Then let us see where your power of will takes you…" Megami smirked and beneath her, mana began charging up as she chanted in the ancient language of the elves.


	12. Heart's Cry

Heart's Cry

_"Dwarven Vow #6: You must travel over a rough road to reach the stars."_

_Outside of Gauracchia Forest_

Kratos squinted as the sun poured down on the group as they exited the dark forest. Kratos was tired, his legs and arms not having enough energy to travel much further carrying his son while all his mana was being diverted to healing his injured wings. He was still shocked that such a thing could happen to them, yet there wasn't much he could do but wait.

Colette was silent for most of the travel, being consumed by thoughts of her own…and other things. She was mainly worried about Lloyd. Just as it seemed Colette struggled the most during her journey of regeneration, it seemed Lloyd was getting the worse injuries and going through the most suffering during their journey to _keep_ the world healthy and at peace. Yet, unlike him, the angel girl felt there was little she could do to help.

Genis stood besides his sister, not fully understanding what had happened to him back in the forest, but decided to try and forget about it. Looking around, he could see Ozette across the bridge just a ways in front of them. "I think we took the wrong path…this isn't the way to Mizuho!" He exclaimed in realization.

Raine sighed, noticing it as soon as he did. "We are going to have to backtrack."

Kratos struggled to stay on his feet and shook his head. "We don't have much time." Lloyd was resting in his arms, but it was obvious whatever entered his body before was still there. The boy's complexion began to look more like Raine's had before, ashy and unhealthy.

Colette came up to his side and looked up sadly. "We won't be able to make it through the forest if we go now. We're going to have to sit and rest…at least for a little while." She didn't like having to stand up to the angel, understanding he probably knew more than anyone there, but he was also like Lloyd in the respect where he often pushed himself passed his physical capabilities, angel or not.

Closing his eyes, Kratos knew she was right. "Very well. A couple hours and we'll head back through the forest to Mizuho."

A little while later, Kratos sat quietly on the grassy floor, his son lying down next to him. The angel had his eyes closed, but he merely relaxed his body in order to regenerate faster. He stayed alert for any mana signatures other than their own and any strange noises that might reveal an enemy sneaking up on them. It was about sunset and though he wouldn't normally recommend cutting through the forest at night, he had little choice. He was going to get his son to a healer.

Genis and Raine sat closer to the fire on the other side, but neither said anything. Genis reflected on the battle back at the orphanage, trying to remember using the Prism Sword attack, but it was all a blur. He did remember being hit by the dark sphere attack, and then Raine's Photon, but what frightened him most was that his sister's action caused him more pain than before. He refused to say anything about it for fear of raising her suspicions.

But the observant scholar had already taken note and was increasingly worried about her brother. She herself also felt a slight…elation from the battle, so much to the extent that it frightened her. But she wondered if such a light attack harmed her brother because it was indeed purifying him and if using it on herself would reveal the same results. Should she be wrong in her calculations though, the attack could be lethal.

Colette sat furthest away from the group, not really feeling that cold and wanting to be by herself more than huddled together with everyone else. She desperately needed to know her purpose in life now. So far, she was just a sidekick to Lloyd, someone who tagged along and helped from time to time. Her main goal in life had always been the Tower of Salvation and completing her journey of regeneration. Now that it was history long passed…what purpose was there in her life? What desire kept her moving forward? Or was it she really didn't _have_ a purpose and desire, and was now simply a lost string left uncut by fate?

It was a depressing and morbid way to look at it, but it was a side of Colette that she herself had begun to embrace. Not everyone needed to know what was going on inside her head and heart. She didn't believe anyone could help her anyways. When it came to finding her role in life, she would have to find it on her own.

Looking up, she saw stars begin to show through the reds and oranges of the sun's parting rays. She remembered being a child and watching the night sky for shooting stars, making wishes on their fading tales in hopes her dreams would come true. She even went so far as to ask that Martel return her mother to her. She loved her father, but she always wished to meet her mother. In that respect, she and Lloyd were kindred spirits.

Laughing sadly to herself, she wondered where her relationship with the swordsman was going. During their adventure, he'd risked his life time and time again to save her, yet during their journey now, she was nothing more than a companion and childhood friend. But deep down inside her heart, she wanted to be more. Lloyd was more than a friend to her, but she wouldn't dare tell him.

Seeing a shooting star pass by, just barely in the darkest part of the sky - now being a light blue - she allowed herself a small dream. One where she and Lloyd fought together as one, where she filled that special part of his life…just like he always knowingly did for her.

_Wishing on a dream that seems far off…_

_Hoping it will come today._

_Into the starlit night, foolish dreamers turn their gaze,_

_Waiting on a shooting star._

Colette scoffed at her foolishness. Maybe she hadn't grown up all that much like she thought she did.

_But what if that star is not to come?_

_Will their dreams fade to nothing?_

_When the horizon darkens most,_

_We all need to believe there is hope…_

She thought of Lloyd as her guardian angel now more than ever. She knew he would always be there for her, to save her when she could no longer save herself; fight for her, when she had long given up. But he was struggling to survive once again…what would she do without him? How could she help him through this difficult time in his life? With him incapacitated…she didn't know what to do. There's was no one to advise her this time.

_Is an angel watching closely over me?_

_Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see…_

_I know my heart should guide me but,_

_There's a hole within my soul!_

Part of her wanted to return to that Colette from Iselia. The one who thought the world was perfect the way it was and nobody suffered. Not her, nor Genis, not Kratos or Raine, and especially not Lloyd. Why were people made to suffer? The past her would've fought to return to that time, to that picture perfect era of her life. Now she was too tired of fighting, too tired of constantly struggling for so many things in order to restore then the way they were. She was simply there. No longer vibrant and alive, yet not truly dead. She still walked this earth as a child of the Goddess Martel, but her heart was dead. That's what it felt like anyway.

_So how then?_ She wondered. _Can I love Lloyd when I don't have any love left within me?_

_What will fill this emptiness inside of me?_

_Am I to be satisfied without knowing?_

_I wish then for a chance to see_

_Now all I need…desperately…is my star to come…_

Looking up, she did the one thing she hadn't done in a long time…she cupped her hands together and prayed. She prayed for guidance, she prayed for strength, she prayed for love. Not necessarily to the Goddess Martel…to anybody. _Please, help me._

_Isle of Decision_

Sheena jumped back to avoid a fiery attack from Kuchinawa and spun around in a counterattack to release her cards. "Pyre Seal!" Throwing three of them, they landed on her friend's chest and exploded with fire. She winced as he grunted in pain and was thrown back. She didn't want to hurt him, but she couldn't back out now.

"You've grown strong, Sheena." Kuchinawa said as he got back to his feet. "But not strong enough!" Jumping into the air, the ninja released one, two, three darts in Sheena's direction. Landing in front of her, they exploded and the ground underneath flew out in all directions.

"Sheena!" Zelos called out in worry from the side. He made one step to run and save her, but stopped himself. This wasn't his fight. Cursing, he pulled back and resumed his _observations._

"Guardian Seal!" Sheena exclaimed at the last moment, crossing her arms in front of her by instinct. Expected a green hued shield to form around her, she was surprised when the debris reflected off not a green barrier…but a red one! Gasping, she looked down and saw Carbuncle dutifully by her side. "Carbuncle? What are you doing here?"

The little blue creature glared at Kuchinawa with her deep cerulean eyes and replied to her mistress. "I'm your guardian Sheena!" She reminded her. "I couldn't interfere or help you until you called upon me. And you did just now!"

Kuchinawa glared back and crossed his arms. "That won't save you now, Sheena!" Running forward, he took out two summoning papers. One was an electric blue and the other white. "I call upon Raiju the Thunder Beast!"

Above the dueling ninjas, a dark black cloud formed and a bolt of lightning came crashing down between them. Kuchinawa stood still, but Carbuncle erected her barrier and Sheena was left unharmed. When the dust cleared, a large wolf looking monster stood crackling with static electricity. His entire body looked like it was made out of lightning bolts.

"Raiju, I command you!" Kuchinawa shouted, stepping forward. "Take care of that mouse that calls itself a guardian!"

Raiju roared in compliance and turned its head towards Carbuncle. Sheena gasped and looked worriedly at Kuchinawa. "How can you be like this?" She demanded.

"I wouldn't worry about your _pet_ at the moment, Sheena. I would worry more about yourself!" Kuchinawa rushed in with a short dagger and pulled another from his other side. Throwing it at Sheena, the girl caught it just in time to deflect his initial strike. "You will perish for your crime!" He came at her so quickly it was difficult to try and strike back. He slashed for her throat, which she leaned back to avoid, the twisted the handle on the rebound and came in for a horizontal slash from shoulder to hip.

Sheena flipped over the second attack and landed behind Kuchinawa, spinning around to slash him across the back with her own blade. When he stumbled forward from the blow, Sheena tried once again to get through to him. "Stop it, Kuchinawa! We don't have to fight over this!"

When he spun around in anger once again, his eyes glowed red and he laughed maniacally. "Those who commit a crime must be punished…"

Eyes going wide, Sheena wasn't expecting the bull rush Kuchinawa rammed into her with and she went flying back into a tree. _That…that was what Mithos said when Lloyd went to save Presea and Regal!_ Sheena remembered standing across the chasm when Lloyd went over to release their friends. The anger and hatred in Mithos' voice was a chilling as the cold steel they stood upon. _Something about this isn't feeling right!_

Carbuncle was avoiding the maddening swipes Raiju sent her way and nimbly avoided being electrocuted on several occasions. Raiju has size and power behind him, but Carbuncle had speed and agility. She could avoid being attacked for quite a long time. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sheena slam into the tree and slump to the floor dazed. "Sheena!"

Knowingly there wasn't much time left, Carbuncle turned her attention to Raiju. "Okay, big guy, we're gonna end this now!" Jumping up into the air, Carbuncle spun and the jewel on her head started to glow. When Raiju roared and a bolt of lightning flew from his back towards her, she lowered her head and erected a special kind of barrier. "Reflect!" The lightning was absorbed into the red-hued shield and for a moment, it disappeared.

Raiju growled low, expecting retaliation and he got it. The same lightning that he had shot at her began appearing on the edges of the barrier but instead of a white-blue, it was a red-white! "I believe this is yours!" Carbuncle flipped and fired the lightning back at Raiju.

Had the energy been the same as what he had fired, it would've healed him if anything. But this was morphed from Carbuncle's own energy and as it shot through his body, Raiju roared out in pain and ineffectively tried to block the rest of the attack, but it was no use. It was already too late. By the end of the attack, Raiju could barely keep on his feet. Swaying, he collapsed to the ground and faded from view. Below him the ground was charged a dark black.

Looking over at Sheena still recovering from the tree, Carbuncle saw the edges of Kuchinawa's body glow back and she immediately knew what to do. "Hang on Sheena! I'm coming!" Running up behind the ninja, Carbuncle fired a quick yet powerful blast from her ruby jewel and aimed at Kuchinawa's back.

Kuchinawa froze midstep as he held his dagger above Sheena's head and his entire body began spasming. "D-damn it!" He fought for control, but couldn't move out of the way of the beam.

Out of his chest, Sheena could see a black mass that looked like a shadow start to be forced out of his chest. "Kuchinawa!" Forcing herself to her feet, she saw the head of the shadow form a mouth and grin at her with red eyes flowing. "W-what's going on?" She took an unsure step back, not wanting the thing to touch her.

"Destroy it Sheena! Banish it and your friend will be set free of its control!" Carbuncle managed the strained command. It took everything she had to keep the shadow exposed and her little form shook with the effort.

"R-Right!" Sheena held up her dagger and it began to glow a light blue. As she pulled it down across the shadow's 'face', it cried out and shattered like glass. A moment later, Kuchinawa collapsed and she managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

Zelos rushed over to Carbuncle as she finished casting the spell and picked her up gently, cradling her in his arms. "Looks like I owe ya another one." He whispered to her as she snuggled into his warmth. As he joined Sheena, the girl was gently holding Kuchinawa's head in her lap. "Is he…?"

"I…I don't know." Sheena's voice cracked. "Please, Kuchinawa…speak to me?"

Kuchinawa moaned and opened his eyes half way. "Sheena…I'm…I'm sorry."

His friend shook her head. "No, it's not your fault."

Kuchinawa coughed and sat up, slowly regaining his strength. "Yes, it is." He met her gaze sadly. "I was upset when you began forming pacts and the darkness…it grew off my anger…I couldn't stop myself."

Sheena's eyes misted up and she looked at the dagger that had killed the shadow. "What was that thing anyway?"

Carbuncle looked up from Zelos' arms. "It was the power of death. With negative emotions, it grows stronger. It lures the spirit into submission and breaks it down with sadness and hopelessness."

"The power of death? You mean Omega?" Sheena wondered. She didn't have time to ask more, because Kuchinawa stood up and began walking away. "W-wait! Where are you going?"

Without turning around, Kuchinawa replied. "I must pray to my parents and ask for their forgiveness as well as my ancestors. I have brought shame upon us all."

Sheena stood up and looked sadly at him. "But…you'll be back right? Orochi he…"

"My brother is strong. He will survive without me. But yes, when I am ready, I will return." Kuchinawa said then proceeded to leave the three behind.

"Kuchinawa…" Sheena watched him go. "It's over…for now…"

_Hima_

"This is a dangerous situation." Presea commented as she took a mighty swing of her axe at one of the cloaked figures. They nimbly jumped back, so Presea lowered her shoulder and focused her mana to her shoulder, "Beast!" Manifesting itself in the form of a lion's head, the mana literally _pushed_ the elf over the side of the cliff and without having the ability to fly, it crashed against the hard rock into the valley below.

"I don't care for pointless battles." Regal replied as he bent over at the waist, and swung his leg around shouting, "Spin Kick!" The elf he fought was thrown back and rammed into another, who was casting a spell. "But this one seems unavoidable."

"Yes, your death _is_ unavoidable!" Megami shouted, upset that two powerless humans could take out two of her darkelves. Spinning around, she tried to cleave Regal across the chest, but he bent to the side at the waist and evaded the attack. "Give up!" She demanded. "Fate does not show mercy to those who dare stand against it!" Cupping her hands together, mana began building underneath her. Instead of the bright blue or white that they were used to seeing, it was a deep blue-violet color. "The power of death shall conquer all! Retaliation!"

Underneath Presea, purple-black mana started flowing inwards and she barely had time to shout, "Earthly Protection!" Crystalline like pillars shot out from the ground and threatened to split her in two. She ground her teeth with the effort to withhold her shield, but the last pillar shattered it and she was thrown into the air like a rag doll. "Ahh!"

"Eagle Fall!" Regal jumped up and twisted around to catch Presea as she flew, then came down with his legs, slamming into Megami with ground crushing force.

Presea was shocked as she recovered her axe from the ground as the dark elf flipped back towards her two remaining 'followers'. "Thank you." She had a small gash on the side of her head, but it was of little consequence.

"It seems we are going to have to join forces if we wish to survive this encounter." Regal said quietly, knowing Presea's heightened hearing would pick it up.

"You're weakness is your concern for one another! Dreadfully pitiful coming from the supposed 'Heroes of the World' and it is a weakness that will be your downfall!" Megami swore as she wiped away black blood from the corner of her mouth in anger.

"Affirmative." Presea replied to Regal. She knew the chances were minimal that they would successfully combine their attacks, but against a foe such as this…they had little choice. She channeled her mana into her axe and clenched it with determination. Behind her she could feel Regal doing the same. Though he no longer fought with his hands, his feet were still a force to be reckoned with.

Regal acted first, running forward towards Megami. She raised her hands to block and managed to survive the three spin kicks he threw her way, but was not expecting the back flip kick he added afterwards. The second one juggled her in the air as he shouted, "Dark Crescent Moon!"

Presea took this opportunity to jump onto Regal's bent back and jump up to Megami's height. "Mass Destruction!" She slammed her axe down on top of the dark elf as she fell and the ground beneath the two as they landed was thrown up. "Dark Mass Destruction!" The rocks that were thrown up were glowing with Presea's mana and flew around in a circle, pummeling not only Megami, but also the other two who were attempting to attack with a spell of their own.

"Mistress Megami!" They shouted, running to her side.

Megami was bruised and scrapped all over her body and it was a miracle she survived the combo at all. "You will pay for this! This isn't over yet! I will see your soul ripped from your body with your last painful scream! Just you wait!" Her accomplices crossed their arms and all three were surrounded in a black sphere that carried them up and into the sky.

Presea and Regal watched them go until they were sure it was over, then Regal knelt down by Presea's side. "Let's head inside and I will heal that for you."

Presea wiped away the blood with her sleeve, but nodded. "Understood. We will depart for Mizuho to report to Zelos and Sheena immediately."

"Yes, unfortunately we were unable to stop them, but I feel they're done with the rumors. Whatever their Lord Zaichar has in mind, they have reached Phase 2 of their plan by now. We were one step behind…" Regal stood up and berated himself.

Presea looked to the direction in which the three had disappeared. "She was right about one thing. This is not over. This…is just the beginning."

_Outside of Gauracchia Forest_

Kratos regarded the sun beginning its dip below the horizon and began surveying the remaining damage. Only the edges of his wings remained frayed and brittle, but he still lacked the ability to fly. They would have to cut through the forest once more after all. Sighing, Kratos regarded Lloyd and felt his forehead for the fever he'd developed earlier. He frowned as it was still there and prepared to pick him up.

Lloyd, in response, moaned and opened his eyes. Kratos gasped and faltered in his action to lift his son. The youth, upon seeing his dad, gave the angel a weak smile. "Don't look so concerned." His voice was slurred and drowsy, which only made Kratos more worried if anything. "I've pulled out of worse." Shivering, he tried to cover it up by laughing, but it was too late.

Standing up, Kratos took off his outer coat and covered Lloyd's body with it. "Anna used to tell me that my stubbornness would be passed down onto you. I suppose this proves her right."

Lloyd weakly waved a hand, dispensing of such an idea. "No one's as stubborn as you." Attempting to sit up, Lloyd hissed in pain and Kratos immediately forced him to lie down again.

"Do not push yourself. I will carry you to Mizuho and we get you taken care of there." He forced his voice to remain calm, even though inside - as usual - he was worried sick for his son. The power Zaichar wielded was dark and dangerous. To have affected Kratos in such a manner was proof enough. Battling Mithos was a far cry from what they were being put up against now.

Lloyd relented and stayed down, looking up at the stars. "You know, I never said anything before, but I remembering you taking me outside at night on that bench in front of the house, and staring up at the stars for hours."

Kratos raised an eyebrow. "You were three…yet something like that remains in your memory?" It surprised the angel because he too remembered such moments with his son. It was memories like that which kept him at least partially alive after Anna's death. As he had admitted before, everything felt meaningless. Now that he had his son back, he had meaning…a desire to live, if only to protect him.

"Well, I can't say I remember what you looked like or anything like that…but yeah. Even back at Iselia Forest, I would look up and study the constellations just because I knew even if you had died when I was little, you'd be looking at them too."

Kratos met his son's smile…and slowly met it with his own. Kratos was about to reply when a dark laughter filled the night sky and the angel withdrew his sword immediately, taking point in front of his son. "Lloyd, stay down!" He commanded.

Raine, Genis, and Colette were running over to the angel when the laughter stopped and the voice said, "Even with the mighty power of the summon spirits, the angel-boy appears weak and untrained. How can _he_ pose such an ominous threat the Lord Zaichar?" High in the sky appeared an angel, with black wings that faded into the darkening sky and gold trimmed black armor covering his body.

Frowning as he recognized him, Kratos tightened his grip on his sword. "Saitou? What are you doing here? Have you joined forces with Zaichar?" He asked. "Have the others done so as well?" The former Angel of Cruxis recognized the dark angel before him as one of Mithos' transformed half-elves. If he converted and joined Zaichar's cause, it's possible many of the other angels did as well.

The angel had black hair that hung down over his eyes, but flowed down to his shoulders in straight smooth locks. He held a golden pike in both hands and twirled it around before answering. "We all knew the weakness of Mithos' heart, knew he would fall when faced with the failure of Martel's revival. He will not be the one to lead us to the Age of Half-Elves. Lord Zaichar will!"

Hefting his pike in one hand, he threw it down at the group and shouted, "Lance of Impiety!"

Kratos scooped up Lloyd and jumped to the side while Colette took to the air to evade the attack. Raine and Genis erected their barriers. "Force Field!" Their voices shouted in unison, causing a green hued shield to surround them and protect them from the attack.

Kratos lowered his son to the ground and while the youth was too weak to fight, he still took out his father's Flamberge to protect himself if the need came to pass. Kratos narrowed his eyes and summoned his wings, taking to the air slightly. Though he would not be able to fly as fast, Kratos could indeed remain stable in midair. "Zaichar will not fulfill your vision, just like Mithos was unable to erect his. To pursue otherwise is foolish." He commented.

"Do not think your words will reach me now, Traitor?" Saitou spun around as he dove straight down towards the half elves. "I follow my own path now!" Raine and Genis were blown back as Saitou barreled through between them to retrieve his pike and took to the skies once more.

Colette acted quickly and threw her chakrams at him as soon as he stopped. "Leave us alone!" She pleaded.

He easily deflected the disks and replied, "I've got a better suggestion. Stay out of this! Retribution!" Saitou raised his pike and black mana spanned out around Colette.

Gasping, Colette caught her chakrams and countered the attack with one of her own. "Thy faithful servant asketh for thy blessing. Honor us with the splendor of thy song. Holy song!" Where her pink mana spanned outwards, the black mana was cancelled out.

Kratos felt the added defense and strength lent to him by the spell and took this opportunity to dash straight in towards Saitou. "Zaichar will _not_ take my son!" He swore, slashing down then across with his blade.

Saitou blocked the first strike and leaned forward as the second swing ended in a stand off. Whispering in Kratos' ear, the dark angel smirked. "He won't have to. Lloyd…will come to _us_."

Eyes flashing with rage, Kratos jammed his blade forward, "Away from me demon, Super Sonic Thrust!"

Saitou was thrown back by the sheer strength of the attack, but managed to avoid being gutted.

"Gentle winds gather before me and turn into waves of air. Cyclone!" Genis spun his kendama from the ground and sent the dark angel into an unexpected whirlwind he couldn't avoid.

"Ray!" Raine raised her staff and a light appeared over Saitou's head. Several powerful beams blasted out of it and Saitou flew and dashed this way and that to avoid the attacks. Laughing, he twirled as he came to a stop a good distance away from Kratos. "That was fun! Are you always this _successful_ while fighting four against one?"

"Leave now Saitou!" Kratos growled one last time. He doubted he would be able to go through another exchange of weapons with the angel warrior and evade injury a second time. His wings still needed to heal.

Saitou laughed, but shrugged. "I've done my part. The powers battling within your son will devour him from the inside out…and there's nothing you can do about it, _Lord_ Kratos." Afterall, the dark angel's mission had only been to delay the group so the darkness within the youth could grow and take root.

Lloyd gasped when Saitou smirked in his direction, then flew off into the night. "What do you mean? Answer me!" He tried to get to his feet, but was still too weak and fell down to one knee. "Damn it!"

Kratos waited a moment, making sure he was gone, then lowered to the ground besides his son. "We can discuss this later. Right now, we must get you to Mizuho, immediately."

Colette, her wings still out, flew above them. "I'll fly ahead and tell them you're coming!"

"That's a good idea." Raine agreed. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

The angel girl nodded and flew off.

"Lloyd, take it easy." Genis said worriedly when Lloyd angrily thrust his sword back in its sheath.

"I hate being weak! I could've taken him now and gotten him to tell us where Zaichar was hiding!" He berated himself.

"What we could've done and should've done matter little now. Come, we have little time left." Kratos bent down under one of Lloyd's arms to support him and the group set off back into Gauracchia Forest.

_Isle of Decision_

Sheena sighed and sat down with her legs up against her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she buried her head within the darkness. She knew she should be happy that she fulfilled her promise _without_ Kuchinawa loosing his life, but she still felt guilty that he left in the manner than he had. It would take a while for his guilt to subside, she knew that, but she still felt like she could've done better.

Carbuncle hopped down out of the warrior's arms and approached Sheena carefully, Zelos behind her. Letting out a mournful mew, she rubbed her head against Sheena's leg. "Sheena? Are you okay now?"

Sheena raised her head and forced a small smile, lowering her hand so she could scratch the guardian behind the ears. "Yeah…I'll be okay."

Zelos' heart was doing a mile a minute, almost having stopped during the battle itself, but he was relieved. Sheena won and she still remained in his life. Bending down on one knee, Zelos smiled and held up Corinne's bell. "I believe this belongs to you."

Sheena's eyes watered upon the accessory she'd allowed to leave her side for so long. "Corinne, may you rest in peace." She kissed it and tucked it into her pocket. "Thanks Zelos…for everything."

Zelos met Sheena's ruby gaze with his own sapphire one and gave into his feelings for the first time. Catching both ninja and guardian off guard, he threw his arms around Sheena and pulled her into his chest.

Gasping, Sheena froze and felt Zelos hold her crushingly close. "Z-Zelos?"

"I…I was so afraid of loosing you, Sheena." He spoke silently from behind her. "If you had fallen to Kuchinawa…I-I don't know what I would've done. You mean so much to me."

Sheena's eyes widened and she slowly raised her arms up to hug the warrior back. "Zelos…"

Zelos' form was shaking as he tried to control the emotions that ran through him. He wanted to tell her so much and now that he finally had the chance, he could begin his new life…with her. "Sheena, I…" Instantly feeling the pain from his wounds heat up again, he grunted to try and cover it up, but this time it was much worse and he released Sheena in order to wrap his arms around himself.

"Z-Zelos?" Sheena was instantly worried and placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to figure out what was wrong.

Gritting his teeth and sweat forming on his forehead, Zelos' body was sent into a sea of pain that knew no end. He dare not open his eyes and barely recalled hearing Sheena cry out his name. "T-This pain…" _I can't stand it anymore!_

Sheena gasped when Zelos went limp in her arms and collapsed to the ground. "Zelos? Zelos!"

"I smell blood, Sheena!" Carbuncle bounced in anxiety.

Rolling him over, Sheena unbuttoned his shirt and pulled down the bandages to reveal his wounds from before were now edged with a black substance and the blood looked unhealthy, almost pussy, as it oozed over the darkened edges. "W-what _is _this? His wounds have gotten worse!"

"It's the power of death! Death is trying to claim his heart and soul!" Carbuncle's fluffy tail swished with agitation. "We have to purify it and fast! If Zelos has been going this long and not said anything, well…he can't last much longer!"

Sheena wanted to run to the boat and get the healer, but she couldn't leave Zelos alone… "Carbuncle! Go back to Mizuho and get help! Tell them what's going on and tell them we need help to get Zelos back to the village!"

Carbuncle nodded in determination. "You got it!" She turned and ran without hesitation, back down along the stream towards the ninja's home.

Sheena held Zelos' head in her lap and took off the ribbon around her waist to try and stop the bazaar bleeding. "Hang on Zelos, please don't leave me." She tied off the pink bow and cupped his face with her hands, bend down to rub his cheek with hers. "Stay strong for me. Don't you dare give up!" _How could I have been so stupid? It wasn't his ego keeping him from showing his wounds, he was hiding the fact they were were being infected by…something. I should've realized it, I should've asked him about it. Damn it Zelos! _Sheena knew he wasn't the one to blame, she was. But what mattered most was that they find a way to save him…so that she could hear him finish that one sentence. Then, she would tell him how much _she_ loved him in return.

_Mizuho_

Upon seeing the village so close, Kratos began running while carrying his son once more. Colette brought out the healer and as soon as they entered the village, the healer directed Kratos where to place his son.

Genis and Raine stayed right with him, worried for the warrior once more. Igaguri was present in the hut and the greeted the group with a bow. "We will take care of him to the best of our ability, I can assure you." He promised. Colette stood at the foot of the bed, her eyes locked on Lloyd.

Kratos gently placed his son down on the bed and stepped back to make room for the healer. She was an elderly woman and had a belt full of different pouches and containers full of herbs and gels. She was muttering in an inaudible language and pretty much ignored everyone for the time being.

Igaguri came up to the angel and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You all have traveled very far, I'm sure. Please rest and get something to eat. I will send for you if his condition changes."

"Thank you, but no." Kratos said as politely as he could. "I will continue to remain by his side."

Igaguri nodded in acceptance and turned to the others. "You are all welcomed to my house if you feel the need to rest."

Raine forced a smile in appreciation. "I think that's a good idea." She looked to Genis. "Are you coming?"

Genis stared a moment more at Lloyd, then noticed she was talking to him and snapped out of it. "Huh? Oh yeah, sure."

As the three left, Colette lingered a moment more, debating where she could serve Lloyd best. Deciding Kratos was going to be as stubborn as she was before, she left to bring food back for the angel and hopefully Lloyd, if he woke up soon.

As soon as she was gone, Kratos was left alone with the healer and Lloyd and finally plopped into a chair and covered his head in his hands. "Is this the best I can do? Will the people close to me always be the ones who suffer?" He wondered. _Anna…guide me._


	13. Dreams of the Dead Part 1

Dreams of the Dead Part 1

_"Dwarven Vow #22: Do good, reap good; do evil, reap evil."_

_Mizuho_

Genis sat on the small hill beneath a cherry tree, its branches now bare from the colds of winter, thinking to himself. When he looked upon Lloyd, unconscious and helpless, he wasn't scared or worried or anything. The only thought that ran through his mind was: He deserved it. And that scared the little half-elf. What was happening to him to start thinking such things? Lloyd was his best friend, he should be like Colette - worried out of his mind and waiting for his friend to get better. But even now…he didn't care.

_So what if Lloyd never gets up again? We could do just fine by ourselves._

Genis shook his head and grit his teeth. _No! That's not me! I would never think like that about my friend!_

Sensing the feeling of satisfaction was gone, Genis sighed and shivered slightly from the cold of night, but did little else. He wanted to tell his sister, Colette, anyone to try and get help, but he was afraid. What if he did something he regretted and ended up hurting them? _I would never forgive myself if that happened…_

Colette tiptoed into the hut where Lloyd was staying and saw Kratos right where she'd left him. The healer had done all she could and left to research what exactly was wrong with Lloyd. "Kratos?" Startled by her voice, the angel jolted from his thoughts and looked over weakly at the girl standing in the doorway. "I…um, brought you a cabbage roll. You should eat something."

Kratos looked to Lloyd, to see if anything had changed, but nothing had, so he sighed and stood up. "No, I…I'll be fine." His response was shallow, his voice coming out deeper than usual.

Colette placed the food down and walked up to Kratos. "I know what you're thinking. You think it's your fault that Zaichar's after him because he wants revenge against you. But you can't think that way. Once Lloyd made the pact with Origin, the summon spirits automatically came to him. He was already in danger. If not Zaichar, then someone else would be after him for their power."

"But even the pact with Origin…I…" Kratos clenched his fist. _"I've dragged you it this until the very end…" "That's okay."_ His son had accepted the fate passed down by his father without regret and without complaint. _I was such a fool to bestow upon him that which I had been unable to accomplish myself. _"There must be something I can do. If we find Zaichar now, we can end this before anyone else has to get hurt." _Zaichar has much to answer for…Yuan…Martel…and now Lloyd…_

"I understand how you feel. I want to help too, but there isn't anything we _can_ do right now. When Lloyd's better, maybe we can think up a better plan." Colette countered with a shake of her head. Before, she would have never stood up to someone like Kratos. But she had changed and because of that she could say what she really felt.

Just then Carbuncle came bursting in and startled both Colette and Kratos. "I need help! I need someone to come with me now!"

"Wait, what's wrong?" Colette asked nicely. Behind Carbuncle, Raine and Genis came upon hearing the disturbance.

"Sheena's at the Isle of Decision! Zelos is there but he…he just collapsed all of a sudden! He needs help quick! Omega's power has…" Carbuncle was bouncing up and down, clearly upset and her voice cracked mid sentence.

Everyone exchanged looks.

"I'll go." Raine offered, being the best healer of the group.

Colette nodded. "Me too. I can carry him back here if need be."

Kratos made his decision and walked past everyone to the door. Pausing he turned to look at the little mage. "Genis, you're going to have to stay here and look after Lloyd."

Genis frowned. "Wait, where are you going?"

Hand raising to the hilt of his sword, Kratos narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to find Zaichar. If I don't…we may lose _both_ Lloyd and Zelos."

Colette gasped as the angel called out his wings and took off into the night. _How does he know what's wrong with Zelos? And who's Omega?_

"Come on! Come on! We have to hurry!" Carbuncle spun around and led the group back upstream to the Isle of Decision.

When they got there, Sheena was crying as she cradled Zelos' still unmoving form. "Sheena!" Colette called out.

The ninja gasped and looked up. Her eyes were puffy from crying and her cheeks were flushed. "He…he won't answer me."

"It's okay. We'll do all we can before getting him back to the village." Raine looked at Zelos' exposed wounds and her eyes widened. _This is the same sort of attack Genis and I were inflicted with…I doubt I'll be able to heal this but…I have to try…_Hovering her staff over the wounds, Raine activated the power of the unicorn horn and focused her mana. "Root of all creation, grant us the breath of life! Revitalize!"

The mother of pearl stone began to glow and slowly the wounds healed themselves. The oozing color faded away and there was little left behind but some scaring. Yet still the warrior refused to wake up. The area where the tissue scarred was gray and unhealthy looking.

"W-why won't he wake up?" Sheena hiccupped as Colette comforted her by wrapping her arms around the older woman's shoulders.

Raine frowned. "I don't know. Let's go back to Mizuho. Lloyd is there as well and suffers from something similar."

Sheena blinked in surprise. "L-Lloyd's been hurt too?"

"Yeah, it's a long story. We can play catch up after we get Zelos to that healer." Colette left Sheena's side to gently lift Zelos' body off the ground, and she gasped when she felt how cold his body felt. _It's almost like he's dead, but…I can still hear a heartbeat…_ She held back from saying this to the others, seeing as Sheena was already upset.

Carbuncle climbed up into Sheena's arms and the girl used the guardian to hide her continuous tears.

"Come on." Raine pushed gently, deciding to lead the group back to the village.

Kratos flew normally now, his wings being completely repaired. He looked down at the ground, surveying the land in hopes of finding something to lead him towards Zaichar. The angel they'd fought went off in this direction, so he assumed the Dark Lord decided to hide himself here somewhere.

_The power of Omega_… Kratos knew well the story behind Omega. _Why hadn't I thought of it before? That was the face I saw in Zaichar's force field! It's what made him so powerful; it's what transforms the exspheres…everything! If Lloyd and Zelos have befallen Omega's power, I must defeat Zaichar and relieve him of the summon spirit in order to save them. It's the only way!_

With renewed determination, Kratos willed his wings to fly faster. In his eyes burned the anger and thirst for revenge unknown to the angel himself. His sword still hung on his hip, but his fingers itched to have it wielded in his hand…to ram it through Zaichar's black heart and see him consumed by the power of death he so clung to. Fighting the angel was one thing, but once you bring in his family and those who had accepted him as one of them…Kratos would no longer be the calm warrior who picked his battles warily. He would be the warrior of retribution, the arc angel who would bring punishment to the one who sought to destroy everything dear to him. _Zaichar…when I find you…you're mine…_

_Gauracchia Forest_

Luccia sat on the edge of the bed on which Yuan rested, and dipped a cloth into a bowl of cool water to rinse it before replacing it back on his head. His body was finally breaking out in a sweat, which meant his fever would soon be over, but other than his forehead, the rest of his body was freezing cold. Her husband Kamai was tending to the children as they were sent to bed. Yuan, his mind filled with horrors one could not imagine, tossed and turned from time to time. Luccia used her powers to light some candles in the room and heat it up a bit in order to keep him warm.

She even managed to manipulate the wind in order to create a soothingly natural melody in hopes of calming his fitful sleep. She was used to long hours, so tending to him was of little trouble. As she reached a hand up to check his temperature again, Yuan jolted awake suddenly and grabbed onto her hand in shock. She jumped slightly, but calmed down and moved the blue hair that stuck to his face away from his eyes. "It's all right. You're with friends."

Blinking his eyes to focus his vision, the angel looked around the room before turning his attention back to the elf. "W-where am I?" He said through a constricted throat.

"This is an orphanage located deep within Gauracchia Forest. My name is Luccia." She explained. "Zaichar corrupted your cruxis crystal in order to control you. I recognized it the moment I saw you."

"Zaichar?" Yuan tried to recollect his last memories. "Kratos, where is Kratos?"

"I will explain everything in due time. Right now, you need to get something to eat. Even being an angel, it will help strengthen your mana and help you to heal."

Finally his body appeared less tense and he nodded as Luccia stood up. "I…thank you for your kindness."

Giving him a small smile, Luccia stopped by the door, "We must all do what we can…in order to make up for our indiscretions."

Yuan's eyes widened and he began to wonder who exactly was this woman to know so much about Zaichar and how Yuan came to be there. Unfortunately he was too weak to think about it too much and relented to listening to the wind and watching the light of the candles dance on the walls. When he was well enough, he only prayed Kratos forgave him and allowed him to help in Zaichar's downfall. He owed his long time friend at least that much. And not just for Kratos…but for Martel as well.

_Mizuho_

Chief Igaguri and the healer managed to fit another bed for Zelos next to Lloyd's, the angel-boy not having awoken just yet. While she tending to her new patient, the group reconvened in order to discuss their current situation and exchange information. As they began, Regal and Presea came to report to Sheena with information of their own. With all the different stories, some people had trouble keeping up.

"How about we sum up what we know?" Sheena offered.

Raine nodded. "First, we have a new enemy. His name is Zaichar and he was involved with Mithos and Martel near the end of the Ancient War. He fought Mithos in order to get control of the summon spirits, for reasons still unknown, and is now after Lloyd for those same reasons."

Presea summed up more of the problem. "He may or may not have the power of this summon spirit Omega, but he does - for a fact - have the ability to change exspheres into darkspheres, and the villagers of Heimdall have no doubt befallen such experiments." Genis shrank back with the last sentence, but said nothing. "Those infected can infect others and it is this power of death which now threatens Lloyd and Zelos?"

"The dark elf we saw at Hima, Megami, seems to be one of Zaichar's subordinates and they appear to want to take advantage of starting a war." Regal added.

"The guy we ran into was really powerful too." Colette spoke up. "I think I heard Kratos call him Saitou."

"But how do we fight something we can't see?" Sheena asked in frustration. "Zelos acted like he was just fine this entire time and only just now fell victim to the infection!"

Raine raised a finger. "I believe it was his power of the cruxis crystal which kept him from being infected as quickly as Genis and I were. If what Colette says is true about Yuan, though, should Zelos not pull out of this it may result in Zaichar assuming control."

"I won't let that happen!" Sheena countered with determination.

"But what can we do? With power of death behind him? No one can run from death." Genis reminded everyone sadly.

Raine frowned at the pessimistic response from her brother. Usually he would refer to a situation from an analytical standpoint. Now he seemed upset just from the idea of facing Zaichar and this Omega. What had changed him?

The healer came in and was visibly exhausted from taking care of both patients. Sheena and Colette stood up in worry, while the rest remained seated, yet apprehensive. "I am sorry." She stated slowly. "Both suffer not poison of the body, but poison of the soul. I do not have the needed materials with which to treat them."

Sheena opened her mouth in shock and disbelief. "So, that's it then? There's nothing more you can do?"

The healer shook her head. "All I can suggest is that you seek the Storyteller from Heimdall. Though he lives alone now, he was once known to be a great healer. Perhaps he will know how to cleanse your companions."

Clenching her fists. Sheena spun around to face everyone. "I'm going."

Raine stood up worried. "Alone? Do you think that's wise?"

"I agree with Raine, we should all go." Colette said sadly.

"If we all go together, there will be no one here to watch over them." She forced a smile, despite how scared she was of loosing them inside. "Besides, I owe them my life."

Carbuncle jumped up and mounted herself on Sheena's shoulder. "I'm going with you!"

The ninja laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Reluctantly the rest of the group slowly agreed and decided to wait at Mizuho until both Kratos and Sheena returned. At dark times like this it was not wise to separate.

_Gauracchia Forest_

Yuan remained silent as Luccia returned with a tray of soup and bread. She set it on the table next to the bed and poured water from a pitcher into a glass before handing it to the recovering angel. "Here, this should help."

Taking it without a word, Yuan quenched his thirst until not a single drop was left. He smirked in bashfulness when the elven woman took the glass and proceeded to refill it. "Thank you."

Smiling in response, she handed him the now full glass. "You already said that earlier. Now focus on healing so I can get you out of here. We have other children that need to use this room too." She teased, then placed the tray of food on his lap.

Yuan regarded her face and tilted his head in curiosity. "How are you capable of all this?" He wondered, referring to the wind induced music.

"Because…I'm a woman and it comes naturally to us." Laughing, she told him the truth. "I'm of the Elemental Clan. Well, not exactly a clan since I'm just about the last that I know of."

Knowing it hurt to talk about such things, Yuan looked down shamefully at his bowl. "I'm sorry."

"Nonsense," She waved away his concern. "It doesn't matter what we are, only what we do."

Sighing sadly, Yuan picked up a spoonful of vegetables and stared at them. "After what I've done…I'm nothing but a monster." He berated himself.

Taking the bowl and spoon, Luccia held the food to Yuan's mouth. "Now now, don't talk like that. One always has time to make up for their mistakes. As long as you put forth the effort, you're proving yourself to be an honest and good person. Now have you ever known an honest monster? Eat."

Yuan smiled with a roll of his eyes, but complied and opened his mouth. "Keep treating me like this and I'll never want to leave."

Dipping the spoon into the bowl once more, Luccia shook her head. "Enough of that, Lord Yuan. I'm _married_." He laughed as he took the offered food. "And according to that ring, so are you."

Raising his hand, Yuan's smile faded. "No, we never…got the chance."

Luccia placed the bowl down momentarily. "Who was she?"

"She was a half elf, like me. Her name…was Martel." The angel replied.

"The Goddess Martel?" Luccia gasped.

"No, merely one of her reincarnations. Of course, I didn't _know_ that at the time." Yuan admitted.

"May I ask what happened to her?"

"…Zaichar."

Sitting back, Luccia nodded in understanding. "I see…" For a moment, both were silent. Only the faint whirlwind symphony greeted their ears as it made its way around the room in a never-ending cycle. In truth, they had both fallen victim to Zaichar's treachery - though Yuan had been left mostly unaware. "Do you…remember anything?"

"Not really. I mostly blacked out." Yuan admitted.

"I suppose that's for the best. When I saw you, your eyes were so cold and your voice was…like a void." When Yuan looked at her curiously, she proceeded to explain her history with Zaichar and what she'd learned during her servitude. "I wish I knew where he was, but I don't have the foggiest idea."

Yuan nodded absentmindedly, already focusing his attention on formulating a plan. "He would need a large area in which to hide his army. Many of the continents are too populated for him to activate secretly." He deduced.

Frowning, Luccia sat up straight. "Do you have an idea where he is?"

Yuan's eyes flashed back and forth as options and possibilities came to mind. "Perhaps."

"Well good!" She exclaimed, breaking his train of thought. Retrieving the bowl and spoon, Luccia made ready to feed him again. "First thing's first…"

Yuan stopped her hand gently and took the food back. "I think I can take it from here." When he gave her a smile, she laughed and left him to his meal.

_Mizuho_

Raine began to worry for her brother when after that conversation, he was nowhere to be found. She began asking the villagers that were still up and one said they'd seen the small half elf leave the village gate and head towards Gauracchia Forest. Frowning she bundled up and headed towards the forested landscape just around the corner from the hidden ninja village.

Her brother's changing behavior was getting more bazaar by the minute. When Sheena left with Carbuncle, he'd abruptly stood up and excused himself. Raine wanted to ask what was wrong so, after a while, she set out to find him. She had always looked after him and would be the first to sense such shifts in his personality. Inside she was afraid surviving their encounters with Mithos and enduring those hardships would be psychologically damaging to someone so young. So it bothered her even more when they all came so suddenly.

Rubbing her arms as she approached the edge of the forest, Raine fought down her fear as the darkness of the foliage swayed upon her approach. Between gusts of wind, she heard the sound of chopping wood. Frowning, she followed the sound quietly as she tiptoed closer.

Soon, she began to hear Genis' voice. He was talking to himself. She picked up the whirlwind sound of his kendama, then the sound of splintering wood again. Ducking behind a tree, she could barely make out his form now and hear his voice as he spun his kendama angrily against the tree directly in front of him. His back was to her so she concealed her mana and peeked around the corner.

"It's always been 'Lloyd this!' and 'Lloyd that!'" He grumbled. "Then the second Zelos falls ill everyone's jumping to save _his_ life!" Raine's eyes went wide as Genis complained louder and louder as his anger and rage increased. "But do any of them care about the elves? NO! They're too worried about the _humans_ of our group. I bet if me and my sister were to go missing, nobody would come looking for us either!"

Genis spun around, making Raine take cover, then released his weapon with even more force against the already splintering bark. "Damn them! Damn all of them! Why stay in a group that doesn't even care if we half-elves live or die?" One of the night ravens cawed in the canopy of the forest, and little Genis growled at the interruption, raising his kendama as he shouted, "Shut up!" Releasing three fireballs, the mage brutally attacked the bird. Not standing a chance against the magic, the bird fell to the ground in a burnt heap.

Raine had to cover her mouth to keep from crying out and watched in horror as Genis returned to the body, still sizzling on the floor, and kicked it back into the darkness. "Serves you right." He smirked in satisfaction.

Not being able to watch anymore, and fearing for her own safety, Raine turned around and ran back towards Mizuho. Not once did she ever look back. _Genis…what's happened to you?_

_Inside Mizuho_

_Chosen…_

_Chosen One…come forth…_

Zelos Wilder opened his eyes and looked around in surprise, finding himself at the base of a huge waterfall. There was forest all around, so the warrior assumed it was an oasis of some sort.

_Chosen One…_

Frowning, Zelos thought for a moment he was loosing it. "Um…okay. _Where_ am I and who are you?"

_Find me and I shall answer all your questions._

Craning his neck up to look at the waterfall, his mouth opened up. "Up _there_? You got to be kidding me!" When the disembodied voice neglected to respond, he sighed and approached the rocky cliff face leading up to what looked like a cave. "Just my luck to have a dream like _this_. Why can't I dream about beautiful woman like most guys?" He wondered.

Grabbing the first notch, Zelos grunted as he began pulling himself slowly up the precarious and tricky footing. "This had _better_ be worth it or I'm gonna be majorly upset." He grumbled.

The first cave wasn't too high up and Zelos rubbed his sore hands with a hurt puppy-faced look. "Hey, you here dude?" He asked. Walking deeper into the cave, Zelos kept one hand on the stone wall and worked his way around. The sides were moist from the waterfall and after about twenty minutes of searching, Zelos saw the light at the end of the tunnel. "Finally!" He exclaimed, coming back outside.

As he approached the edge, his eyes went wide when he looked down at the now three-story drop. "Holy crap!" In the distance was nothing but desert as far as the eye could see and what was once a waterfall, was now a large sand…fall? Thin golden sand fell as abundantly as the water once had, and landed in the desert floor below in a kind of quick sand pit. "Okay, now I _know_ I haven't had that much to drink…ever! So what in the name of Martel is going on here?" He shouted.

_Higher up…Chosen…and you will receive the answers you seek…_

Crossing his arms in defiance, Zelos scoffed. "Yeah, that ain't gonna happen. I don't exactly have a death wish, okay?" When the voice once again refused to respond, Zelos sighed in defeat and eyed the narrow ledge leading to the next cave _behind_ the sand fall. "Man, I'm gonna _kill_ whoever let me pass out drunk. I'm telling you, this just ain't fair!" Looking down, Zelos swallowed hard and started across the cliff…

Lloyd slowly awoke and sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. He looked around and noticed the only ones present were Regal, Presea, and Colette who slept soundly in the chair by his side. Smiling softly, he uncovered his blanket and slowly draped it across her lap. He noticed Zelos was sleeping soundly next to him, as were his other friends, so he kept quiet. Wincing, he looked down under his shirt and saw his wound had been cleaned, but it was still sensitive to the touch.

He rubbed his temples as his head pounded painfully so he decided he just needed some fresh air. Being extra quiet as he slipped past his friends, he went out into the cool and quiet night. He shivered slightly, but it was relaxing and refreshing, so he took a deep breath.

A child's giggling caught his attention and he turned with a frown. "Wha?" He caught sight of a boy with spiky brown hair running from behind a tree, further into the village. "H-hey wait!" He called out, chasing after him.

The boy laughed and ducked behind one of the houses. "Tag! You're it!" He touched someone's shoulder and ran off again. Behind him a second child, this one a little girl giggled and began following him to the edge of the village to the east.

The little girl had long green hair and Lloyd gasped when she appeared to look a lot like Martel. "No way!" He continued to chase after the two when a third jumped out from behind a bush to tag the boy. This one was a little girl as well, all appearing no older than seven years old, but she had even longer black hair. "Now you're it!" For an instant, Lloyd caught sight of her eyes and saw they were red! "Sheena? No, Luccia!" By her ears, she was definately elven.

The boy turned around at the sound of Lloyd's voice while the girls continued to run into the knee length grass field. With sad, remorseful brown eyes, the swordsman finally recognized the child. "K-Kratos? Dad!"

The boy followed his friends and disappeared into the darkness. Lloyd held his head as it began to ache once more and he struggled to follow. "W-who are you, really? Wait!" Leaving Mizuho behind, Lloyd chased the children into the night…

_Latheon Gorge_

Sheena approached with Carbuncle at her side and saw the elf standing guard, like before, dutifully in front of the entrance to the gorge. It didn't take long to travel down the coast, since the ninja still had the Elemental Cargo stored in her wing pack. She was momentarily doubtful of herself when a flash of Zelos came to her.

_"I…I was so afraid of loosing you, Sheena. If you had fallen to Kuchinawa…I-I don't know what I would've done. You mean so much to me."_

Tightening her hands into fists, she looked at Carbuncle and nodded. "Let's do it." The guardian nodded and followed her mistress up to the elf. "I'm here to see the Storyteller."

"None may pass." The man said stubbornly. "I recognize you from before, but have received no word from the Elder saying to let you pass. I'm sorry."

Sheena shook her head. "They're all gone."

The guard paled. "W-what?"

"Heimdall." Sheena sympathetically explained about the elves' disappearance and the group's quest to stop Zaichar. "Please you must understand. The Storyteller may be the only one who knows how to save my friend!"

Slumping his shoulders, the elf was split between his duty to his post and his worry for his family. "Very well." He relented. "I will return to Heimdall to…confirm your story."

Sheena bowed gratefully. "Thank you." Running past him, the ninja looked back to see the guardian bounding by her side. Getting to the first cliff, Sheena paused a moment to let her guardian get on her shoulder, before jumping up the ten feet.

"This is gonna be tough, Sheena!" Carbuncle exclaimed, looking up high at the other ledges. True, the trip would be easier if the ninja had the Sorcerer's Ring, but she'd have to make due.

"I can't give up, Carbuncle. I won't because…he never gave up on me." Sheena replied, thinking about Zelos. "Actually, neither have. I'm lucky to have such friends." Looking up at the next ledge, the ninja took an extra moment to estimate the distance in the dark, before making her next jump. She landed with a couple inches to spare and took a relaxing breath.

"If you continue down the path you have chosen, your quest will end in failure."

Gasping, Sheena instantly had her cards out and spun around looking for the person. "Who's there?"

Carbuncle jumped off Sheena's shoulders and looked up. "There he is!"

High on another ledge, a dark cloaked figure stood solemn in the moon's pale light. Only his mouth was visible beneath the brim of his brown hood. "Heed my warning or both will be lost." He spoke again.

Narrowing her eyes, Sheena jumped up to a higher ledge opposite of the hidden man. "How do you know why I'm here?"

Carbuncle took three smaller leaps to get up to her mistress. "I don't trust him Sheena! Let's hurry to the Storyteller so we can save Zelos and Lloyd!"

"The Storyteller…is already dead." The cloaked figure replied. "By the time you prove my words correct, both warriors will already be beyond saving."

Sheena was shocked, but stayed poised and ready for battle. Usually she wouldn't waste her time, but if what he said was true, she just might lose them. "What do I have to do?"

"Sheena!" Carbuncle exclaimed in surprise.

The man nodded. "Head East, past the Toize Valley Mine. Follow the mountain range and you will come to a cave with a diamond over the entrance only summoners can see. Inside will be the mystic orb that can save your friends." He paused. "But make haste, for the one who killed the Storyteller also knows of the orb."

When the man took a step back, ready to leave, Sheena gasped. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"There are others who need my help. Others who need to be saved…from themselves."

Narrowing her eyes, Sheena asked, "How can I believe you?" The lives of her friends depended on her choice to believe this shadowed man or not. "What do you have to gain form all this?"

From beneath his hood, she could see a feint smile cross his lips as he turned his back towards her. "The future lies in your hands." Pausing, he added. "Why tremble and trend…when the sun gives you warmth?"

She gasped and was about to ask him about it when he let himself drop over the edge of the cliff. "W-wait!" Leaping over to where he had stood just a moment before, Sheena looked down and saw no sign of the man anywhere.

"He's gone…" Carbuncle tilted her head, joining Sheena's side. "What do you think he meant by that?"

"I-It's a message…from my village…" She replied in shock. "It's a message of peace. It means not to be afraid, because I will always have someone to guard my back. He's either from my village…" She paused and looked in the direction he'd disappeared. "Or someone very close to him trusted him with our secret."

"So what are we gonna do now?"

Nodding, Sheena made up her mind. "We're gonna retrieve that orb.

_Fooji Mountains_

Kratos landed at the top of the majestic mountain range and narrowed his eyes as he looked across the land below. His wings spasmed behind him, clearly revealing his exhaustion - having pushed himself so soon after healing - but he ignored his body's protests and thought of other areas the monster would hide. The angel's heart beat quickly and he could hear it in the depths of his ears. He took deep breaths in order to revitalize himself, but he would not stop.

Part of him didn't care if what he was doing was irrational. He would do anything for his son. He would not stop his search until Zaichar was pinned painfully on the end of his sword. His aura flashed from light blue on the edges of his form, to a navy blue. He himself did not notice this, and he stretched his wings to take off into the night once more.

Behind him, the cloaked figure dropped down out of the sky and landed ten paces behind the angel. "Revenge…anger…these are emotions that do not suit you, Kratos."

The angel's sword was instantly in his hand as he spun around to face the one bold enough to sneak up on him. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to sense anything about the man, but his mana remained hidden from him. Retaining his stance, Kratos replied, "Emotions are merely another aspect of being human."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. It seems you got over the notion you were something other than what your heart was trying to tell you." The cloaked man replied.

"Who are you? Do you work for Zaichar?" Kratos half accused. "How do you know so much about me?" In the wrong hands, information was a dangerous thing.

"Do you intend to continue blindly searching for your enemy, Kratos? Have you lost faith in your companions to solve this as a whole?" The figure asked instead.

"It is…a complicated situation." He said slowly. He did know the group only got stronger when faced with adversity, but when it came to his son, he felt the need to try harder, in order to make up for all the years he wasn't in Lloyd's life.

"Only you make it complicated. By leaving your son's side when he needs you the most."

Eyes flashing with anger, Kratos flew in swiftly and slashed down vertically at the figure. Not bothering to counter attack, the man proved to have unbelievable reflexes, avoiding the slash by dipping to the side and flipping over Kratos' form to land safely in the spot the angel had just been. "What do you know about my son?" When the figure remained silent, he gripped his sword tighter. "Answer me!"

The figure stood silent a moment more, Kratos' anger only rising, before he said, "The darkness within Lloyd will consume him and he will turn away from his friends and even you, if you do not return to him. Zaichar knows he's infected and will use this opportunity to turn him, warp him into a creature of the night. You are the only one who can save him."

Kratos shook his head. "How do you know so much about Zaichar? Does he truly have Omega?"

The man nodded. "I'm afraid he does. He received it shortly before his fight with you at Linkite Tree Valley."

The angel gasped and took a step forward. "How do you…?"

"Go, you must rescue Lloyd."

"But…"

"Go now!" The figure's form glowed red, then faded from view.

Kratos straightened his back and replaced his sword in its sheath. Gritting his teeth, he hated the idea of being lured into a trap, but he could at least check up on Lloyd. Spreading out his wings, Kratos waited for a nice downdraft before jumping off the peak back towards Mizuho. If the cloaked man told the truth, then perhaps Kratos would find Zaichar as well.


	14. Dreams of the Dead Part 2

Dreams of the Dead Part 2

_"Dwarven Vow #22: Do good, reap good; do evil, reap evil."_

_Outside Mizuho_

Lloyd stopped to catch his breath and was relieved when he saw the children had all spread out, but otherwise remained still. On his left was the child form of Kratos, dressed in a sky blue robe and navy blue sash. On the robe were designs of crescent moons, but the boy himself still retained older Kratos' sad expression and crossed his arms in disapproval.

In front of Lloyd was Martel, dressed in a green robe like Kratos' but had a forest green sash and butterflies flying across in patterns. She stared at Lloyd with even jade eyes and cupped her hands in front of her. Slightly to his right was Luccia. She wore a light gray robe with a black sash. Her robe had etched black spiders crawling over it. She didn't even meet Lloyd's gaze and instead stared down at the grass below.

"How could you?" Kratos' child form asked accusingly.

Martel shook her head and Lloyd could see her eyes mist up. "Haven't you done enough?"

"You care nothing about anyone! You ruined so many lives!" Luccia blurted out angrily, finally raising her head to glare at him. "Didn't you say you loved her?"

Lloyd would've taken a step back, but found his feet routed to the floor. "I-I can't move!"

"You hold regret from your past…it is a painful reminder of the choices you made that resulted in those you care for suffering on your behalf." Kratos said in a low voice. Even though it was that of a child's, it still carried the authority his adult form did.

"You grow and discover your faults, becoming stronger…only to throw all that away?" Martel wondered sadly.

Luccia sighed. "Strings have been cut that were meant to grow…lives have been lost that were meant to live. How do you plan to rectify your mistakes? The future depends on your answer…"

"I…" Lloyd was shocked at the comments. "I don't understand."

"Ignore them." Upon hearing the voice, the three apparitions disappeared.

Spinning around, Lloyd found he could move again and fell backwards when he saw Zaichar standing behind him. "Y-you're Zaichar…" Kratos had informed Lloyd what Zaichar looked like in case the dark elf ever came after Lloyd and Kratos wasn't there…

Standing up angrily, Lloyd prepared to draw his swords and cut down his enemy, but his hands met nothing. Cursing he remembered they were back at Mizuho and was forced to retreat back a few steps instead. "What do you want?"

"Do you know why they appear as children? Because children are the very essence of innocence…untainted from the cruel harsh realities of the real world. But you, Lloyd…" He smirked and took one step forward. Lloyd followed along and took one step back. "You are anything _but_ innocent. Well, not anymore."

Lloyd shook his head. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"Perhaps not yet…" The elf crossed his arms. "But you could be great if you so desire to be. The darkness within you can make you more powerful than you ever dreamed."

"I don't want that kind of power!" Lloyd shook his head. "I will continue to fight and grow strong of my own accord. I won't give in and take the easy way out! Besides, I strive to save the lives of those you seek to destroy!" He accused.

"Not destroy, my boy. Merely put in their proper place. There are some people who are better than others, just like there are some species that are better than others. You wouldn't want mere ants telling you want to do, would you?" Zaichar asked. "It's merely the same with me. We elves came here from Derris-Kharlan and even planted to Great Kharlan Tree to support life on this weak planet. And what do we get in thanks? Our children forced to live in hiding, those with our blood treated like trash because the humans decide they are better?"

"No one's better than anyone else!" Lloyd countered. "We all have hardships we have to overcome. But we come out the other side stronger than when we began. Discrimination is a harsh reality, but one that we can change. No one has to suffer!"

"I quite agree, but even if you were to talk and try to convince every single being on this planet, you would never succeed. They must be made to listen…they must be forced to obey. Power is the only thing they will listen to. I can give you that."

"Shut up!" Lloyd shouted. "I will never join your cause! And when you least expect it, my friends and I are gonna show to you just how strong we are!"

Zaichar laughed and shook his head. "Where are your friends now, then? All I see is you…and you are all alone now…"

_Mizuho_

Zelos spit sand out of his mouth as he entered yet another cave, slowly making his way higher and higher. "If I wasn't hurting before, I'm definitely feeling it now." He sighed. "Hey, buddy, you still there?"

The cave the warrior entered was smaller than the others and a flash of light made him squint his eyes as an altar materialized in front of him. It glowed a pretty yellow-white as Zelos slowly approached it. Propped in the center was a double-edged sword. In its hilt was a golden exsphere.

"Whoa…" Zelos was at a loss of words as he bent over to touch it. Activated by his touch, a floating image of a man appeared before him and Zelos jumped back, falling on his rear in surprise. "Hey! You could've warned me you were gonna do that!" Dusting himself off as he stood up, Zelos looked at the spirit with a tilt of his head. "So…you were the one who called to me."

The spirit nodded. He had short blond hair neatly combed back and wore a tight blue and gold, long sleeve shirt with pants reflecting the same pattern. "Yes…it was difficult to make the connection, hence your travel up here." He appeared to be about Lloyd's age if not a little older.

Shrugging, Zelos figured he didn't have to be anywhere in particular at that moment, so he tried to make himself comfortable and leaned against the wall. "Well, I'm here. What's your name? I am the Great Zelos Wilder."

"My name is Shinji. I was once the sworn protector to the Chosen One Yukari. I embarked on a similar journey as you and your friends, though mine…ended in failure." Looking down, the boy appeared sad. "I was unable to protect her and I fear I know not what has become of her."

Zelos understood the spirit's pain and nodded. "What happened?"

"During our journey of regeneration, we learned of Cruxis and of Mithos' plans to revive his sister. We were told by the angel Remiel, the mana links would switch and our world would still be saved, but…at the cost of Yukari's heart and memory." The spirit paused. "At the moment of her transformation, I reached a hand out and grabbed onto her, begging her to find another way. She told me, though she could not talk, that she would gladly give up her life in order to save the world and become Martel's vessel. I didn't want her to go…"

Zelos pushed off the wall and walked to stand in front of the spirit. His story was exactly what Lloyd had been forced to go through with Colette. "Go on."

"Remiel became upset and turned on us. My companions…were killed, only I survived. I injured him enough that he prepared to make a retreat with Yukari in tow. I couldn't allow it, so I once again reached out to her, but ended up being teleported with her to Derris-Kharlan."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Zelos offered his condolences. "I'm guessing from the fact that Mithos sent the oracle down and deemed Colette the next Chosen, that Yukari's mana signature didn't match Martel's?"

Shinji shook his head. "No, it didn't, though I did not learn that right away. While I made my way around Welgaia, I was spotted by an angel guard." Looking up, the spirit met Zelos' gaze. "It was the same angel that attacked you at the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge."

"Whoa, stop right here! How do you know about that?" The former Chosen wondered. On top of that, how could one angel kill the five or so humans that were with Zelos that day and fly fast enough to attack the former Chosen himself? It had to be a mistake.

"Because, his name is Saitou, and he was the one who killed me for my trespasses. Killing me was not enough for him though, he wished to see me suffer. So he encased me within this exsphere and hid my sword with it in the breaches of time and space." Shinji took a deep breath, though Zelos knew he probably didn't need to breathe. "Being the one who sent my soul into purgatory, I acquired a special link with him and have learned everything through his eyes and ears. He now works for Zaichar and has become a Dark Angel General, along with Zaichar's other second-in-command, Megami. She controls the dark elves infiltrated all across the land."

"You serious? It is because this Saitou attacked me, that I can see and talk to you?" Zelos asked.

Shinji nodded. "You have been the first one I've been able to make contact with in over two hundred years. Though if we do not hurry, you too will become trapped here."

Zelos nearly feel over in shock. "What? Why me?"

"Right now your friends are your only chance. Zaichar's taint must be purified from your wounds."

"So you're saying if they_ don't_ succeed, it's comatose city?" Zelos looked back towards the cave's opening. "Then how do I get out of here?"

"We must combine powers." Shinji replied as Zelos turned back to him. "But first, I have a favor to ask of you, warrior."

"Yeah, yeah go ahead. If it doesn't involve me _dying_ or becoming a vegetable I think I'll agree to anything!" Zelos exclaimed.

"I ask that you aide me in my revenge against Saitou. If I don't, I will be trapped here for an eternity more and will never be reunited with Yukari on the other side. Your battle with him has already been fated by the higher powers in this realm, I merely ask that you allow me come with you." Shinji asked. "In exchange, I will lend you my power in the form of my sword. Please warrior."

Zelos looked at the sword behind the see through apparition. "Doesn't sound like that bad of a deal. Okay, you got it." He agreed.

"I thank you." Shinji's form dissolved and Zelos was left alone with the altar. _Take the sword and I will lead you out of here._

Zelos took a step forward, hands reaching for the sword. "I really hope this works." Grasping it, he pulled it from the altar and it glowed golden, before fading down once more. The altar disappeared and Zelos looked at the sword curiously. "So, what do we do now?"

_Walk to the end of this cave back outside._ Shinji replied.  
Zelos kept the sword out and did as told. When he neared the edge, he carefully looked over the side, and saw the waterfall had returned, flowing stronger than ever now more than ten feet below him. "Man this is one wacky dream." The river probably ran underground to this outlet. "Next?"

_Jump_.

"What?" Zelos stepped away from the edge. "I thought we were trying to get me out of here _alive_. Not flat as a pancake! There's no way I'll survive a fall like that!"

_Trust me._

"Or what?" Zelos argued, staring at the sword angrily.

_Or we will both be stuck here indefinitely._

Sighing, Zelos put the sword in his sheath. "Nice options." He looked down the cliffside again, and shook his head. "The others are not gonna believe this when I tell them." Taking a moment to berate himself some more, Zelos raised his arms and jumped down the waterfall.

He withheld from screaming and fell feet first down the massive drop. As he neared the pit, he closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. He felt an odd release of pressure on his body and gasped as he landed safely on solid ground. "Where am I?"

_…That would be difficult to explain. Let us just hope your friends are successful._

Looking around, all Zelos could see for miles was endless darkness. "So…what do we do now?"

_…Now…we wait…_

_Temple of Origin_

Sheena and Carbuncle found the shrine just like the cloaked figure said, and high above its entrance was a four-sided jeweled diamond. "What is this place?" Sheena wondered.

Carbuncle recognized the gem and bounced excitedly. "This is the seal where Origin was before Mithos created that other seal at Heimdall!"

Sheena gasped. "You sure?"

Carbuncle nodded. "The orb that man talked about must be the Orb of Origin! With it, we can negate the power of Omega and save both Zelos and Lloyd!" She exclaimed happily.

The ninja's heart soured. "All right! Let's go in there and do it!" Pulling open the large double doors that protected the seal, Sheena was shocked such a place was literally invisible to those who lacked the right of summoning.

The room was covered in spotless shining marble and on the sides were large ancient paintings of each of the summon spirits. Sheena eyed Undine, her sword facing down, ready to fight. There was Luna sitting majestically on her moon, and each of the Sylph, flying towards the artist of the painting, each had of their weapon of choice out. At the end of the row was Origin: wearing little armor, the summon spirit was all power and strength, wielding the four massive swords in each of his hands with ease.

Carbuncle walked a few paces in front of Sheena in case anything popped out, and the ninja herself had her cards out a ready. Sheena held up Acalanatha and gave it a kiss for good luck. When no monsters came out to attack them, she began getting suspicious. "If this is a seal, where's the trial?"

Carbuncle shook her head. "This isn't like the other seals. Once a summoner has come this far, Origin tests their strength of will and heart, not their ability and skill with the sword." The guardian replied. "But with Origin already having a pact with Lloyd, there shouldn't be much trouble here."

Sufficiently searching the main room, Sheena sighed and shrugged. "Well nothing here." She turned to the door at the end of the lobby. "Guess we move on." She approached the door slowly and tightened her grip on her Acalanatha before pushing it open and moving inside.

The next room was just as vast, columns of light raining down from unseen holes high above. There were large pillars supporting the roof leading all the way down to the end of the carpeted path. It was there Sheena caught sight of a tall, dark, and slim elven woman, who's skin was ash gray and hair long and silver. "Stop right there!"

Megami turned around and narrowed her eyes at the approaching duo and pushed her arms out to either side of her. Scrapping her long claws against each other, she was clearly caught unaware and very upset about it. "What are _you_ doing here? There's no way you could've traveled up those cliffs and gotten here so quickly!"

Growling, Carbuncle took point in front of her mistress. "So it was you! You were the one who killed the Storyteller!"

Megami laughed and crossed her arms. She still wore the cloak from before, but it was mainly waving behind her. Her body was scarcely covered in black and silver armor, but already her mana was charging up. "It matters not! Because your life ends here!"

Carbuncle jumped up immediately and flipped, activating her barrier. "Don't worry, Sheena! I'll protect you!"

"From me? I think not!" Megami countered.

Sheena grit her teeth as she saw the battle unfold. If she died here, Zelos would die too, along with Lloyd. She couldn't let that happen! "I won't lose to you! My friends are depending on me!" She shouted, charging into battle.

_Outside Mizuho_

Lloyd stepped back unsure, partially afraid because he'd been stupid enough to leave the village unarmed. "Leave me alone!" He tried to sound intimidating.

Just then his cruxis crystal activated and the image of Lloyd's mother appeared between her son and Zaichar. "You will _not_ lay a hand on him." She said with determination.

Zaichar ceased his approach with this new turn of events and regarded the woman carefully. "So you still exist within his crystal? Perhaps my powers have not yet reached thier full capacity as I had hoped." Anna's see-through form winked out then reappeared. "Or maybe they have." He smiled. "How much longer can you stand it? How much power do you really have left?"

Lloyd was in shock and looked over at his mother. "M-mom? Is that you?" Digging into his shirt, he pulled out the locket Kratos had given him that night at Flanoir and opened it. Inside was a picture of Kratos, Anna, and a baby Lloyd. The picture matched the ghost standing in front of him now. "It really is you…"

Not bothering to turn around, Anna seemed to struggle to keep herself visible, still winking out and reappearing in a steady pattern. "You will never corrupt his soul the way you allowed yours to be." She said with determination. "He is stronger than you will _ever_ be."

Zaichar laughed. "So you say, but even now your power wanes, doesn't it? You can barely affect the real world like you did before…evolving his cruxis crystal in order to germinate the Great Seed. Actually very clever of you, I must say. But in the end, a futile effort."

Lloyd tried to determine what was real and what was false, but his head erupted in more pain and he grabbed his head, falling to his knees. "I can't tell! I can't tell what's real and what's not!"

"Lloyd!" Out of the sky flew down Kratos, sword drawn right towards Zaichar. "Get away from him!" Slashing as he came down, Zaichar had to flip back to avoid being hacked in two. The ground exploded with the power of the attack and the dark elf raised a black barrier in order to protect himself from flying debris.

As the dust cleared, a blue hued shield was visible in front of Lloyd, courtesy of Anna. Landing in front of Lloyd to Anna's side, Kratos glared at the Dark Elf. "You will _not_ have him!"

Zaichar narrowed his eyes and decided his chance had passed. "Let us see how long he can last then, hmm? Sooner or later, he _will_ come to me. He cannot fight against his fate." Growling, Zaichar crossed his arms and disappeared.

Lloyd looked back and forth between his mother and father and finally had too much. Closing his eyes, he fell forward and passed out. Kratos half turned just in time to see him collapse and dropped down to one knee in order to catch him. "Lloyd!"

Anna looked sadly at her son and knelt down by his side. Kratos had seen Anna from the sky, but didn't know if it was really her or not. She caressed Lloyd's cheek and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "I don't have much time." She said sadly. Looking up, she forced a smile for Kratos. "Zaichar was right, my power of influence is waning. Up until I have been able to look over our son and protect him through the power of the exsphere. But now…" She winced and grabbed her stomach.

"Anna!" Kratos, with one arm still around Lloyd, reached out to support her as well, but his arm went through her. Gasping, he saw her recover and shake her head. "How do we stop this?" He asked worriedly.

Sighing, Anna ran her hand over Lloyd's hair in a form of caress. "He must be strong in order to overcome the darkness. We don't know what form it will take, but depending on how strong Lloyd's will is, he may or may not warp and become a creature like Zaichar…bent on nothing but causing others to suffer and the pursuit of more power."

"Never." Kratos was in shock. "Lloyd would never turn out to be something like that." He looked down at his son and held him closer. "I will protect him. I won't let him walk down the path of darkness."

Anna smiled and nodded. "I know you will. I'm glad you decided to live on, Kratos. Someone needs to be here for him, to guide him down the path of light. The power he wields can be rectifying or condemning for not only him, but for everyone on this planet. He does not yet realize it."

"What about you?" Kratos asked worriedly. "Will you be alright?"

Anna met his gaze. "As long as you will continue to guide him here, I will continue to protect him. I have faith…in both of you." Smiling, she leaned in and gave him a phantom kiss on the lips before disappearing completely. As she did so, the glow of the exsphere faded as well.

Looking down at Lloyd, Kratos slowly stood up and held the boy in both arms. "May the future be bright, Anna…for all of us."

_Temple of Origin_

Sheena jumped back as Megami chanted her spell. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…Desecration!" From above Sheena, a black sword made up of mana came barreling down, its edges crackling with dark energy.

"Carbuncle! Guardian Seal!" Sheena shouted.

"You got it!" Carbuncle jumped up and her red stone activated, "Barrier!" The sword crashed down upon the red-hued shield and the massive energy behind it assaulted the shield, causing Carbuncle to be slammed down onto the ground, but she skidded on her feet and bit down hard. "I won't let you hurt Sheena!" She shouted in retaliation, adding more power into her protective barrier.

As soon as the attack died away, Megami was shocked to see Sheena still alive. "Impossible!"

Sheena acted quickly, using the element of surprise, and ran forward with her cards. "You're in for a world of hurt!" She shouted, throwing three cards forward. "Devil Seal!"

As soon as the cards landed on Megami, they erupted with white lightning, sending her into a world of hurt…just as promised. The Devil's Seal was a special attack because it reacted differently, depending on the enemy. Megami screeched and jumped back, throwing off her smoking cloak now full of holes and singe marks. "You may have been able to stop me from taking the orb, but you will not make it in time to save your friends!" She shouted. Disappearing from the room, Megami summoned four of her dark elf warriors and left them to finish the ninja off.

Sheena stood in front of the orb, having yet to grab it, and smirked down at Carbuncle. "You ready for this?" When the guardian nodded, Sheena let out a battle cry and rushed in to face off with the enemy.

_Renegade Base: Triet Desert_

Yuan returned to his base at just around sunrise, thanking Luccia once more for her hospitality, but telling her than if they even stood a chance of finding Zaichar, he had to return and begin a fresh search investigation. She was reluctant, but said that if he could live for close to a thousand years, he was a big boy and could handle himself.

Upon entering his office, Kiga spun around in surprise, but was instantly happy when he saw it was Yuan. "Lord Yuan! You have returned!" He exclaimed. "And you're looking much better!" The second-in-command knew Kratos had something to do with it and made a mental note to thank the angel the next time they crossed paths.

Yuan smiled at the man's enthusiasm and nodded. "Yes, but now is not the time to relax." He said, turning more serious. "We have to find Zaichar before he can obtain the power of the summon spirits."

"Yes sir!" Kiga happily accepted the order. "I will make contact with our informants and see what they've gathered."

"Very good." Yuan nodded, seeing the man head to the door behind him.

Pausing as the door opened, Kiga turned around. "Um, Lord Yuan?"

"Hm?"

"It may be nothing, but the Dimensional Transfer System (DTS) fluctuated for a while during your absence. It lasted perhaps an hour, then it went away, but the readings are all higher than normal."

Yuan's eyes widened, but he didn't turn towards the other. "Thank you. I will look into it." When he heard Kiga leave, he frowned - disturbed by the information. "With the worlds combined, what could cause it to act up like that?" He wondered. Returning to his desk, he read the recent reports from the DTS machine and leaned back in thought. "At this point, it would be impossible to pinpoint where the fluctuation occurred, so I'll have to keep monitoring it and see if it happens again." He decided. First was Zaichar, because Yuan doubted the two were connected, and the angel clenched his fists in anger at the thought of the man. "The next time we meet, I will not lose to you, Zaichar. I won't."

_Gauracchia Forest_

Luccia returned to the nursery to check on the children and immediately heard one crying because of a nightmare. Coming to her side, Luccia bent over and slowly pulled the child out of bed, who was no more than perhaps two years old. "There, there. It was just a bad dream."

_How can the small flowers grow,_

_If the wild winds blow,_

_And the cold snow…is all around?_

_Where will the frail birds fly,_

_If their home on high,_

_Have been torn down…to the ground?_

Luccia sang the song softly and rocked the child back and forth, soothing it with her melodious voice. Kamai quietly entered the room and smiled upon hearing her voice. It had been ages since he heard her singing. Coming up behind her, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, making her gasp in surprise.

"Don't stop. Keep singing. I've wished to hear this song since forever it seems." He smiled looking down at the baby in her arms.

_Lift the Wings_

_That carry me away from here and_

_Fill the Sail_

_That breaks the time to home_

_But when I'm miles and miles apart from you_

_I'm beside you when I think of you - a Stoirin a Gra_

The last sentence meant "My life, My love" in elven. It was a lullaby Luccia remembered her mother singing to her all those years ago.

_How can a tree stand tall,_

_If a rain won't fall,_

_To wash its branches down?_

_How can the heart survive,_

_Can it stay alive,_

_If its love's denied for long?_

"I remember you used to sing this to _her_, didn't you? Late at night when we would hear her crying down the hall." Kamai smiled.

Luccia nodded. "I miss her so much. I miss Sheena."

Kamai understood her pain and began the next verse for her.

_Lift the Wings_

_That carry me away from here and_

_Fill the Sail_

_That breaks the line to home_

Luccia laughed as the tears came down and she struggled to sing the next part.

_But when I'm miles and miles apart from you_

_I'm beside you when I think of you - a Stoirin_

Kamai nuzzled her neck and tried to cheer her up.

_And I'm with you as I dream of you - a Stoirin_

Relaxing into his embrace, Luccia held onto the baby in her arms as she remembered holding onto Sheena. Then both whispered the last line of the song, both feeling the pain of loss, yet struggling to keep faith in the future.

_And a song will bring you near to me - a Stoirin a Gra_

_Mizuho_

It was morning the next day and the group was still in surprise when Kratos had returned to the room with Lloyd. Colette apologized profusely for having fallen asleep, but the angel assured her it wasn't her fault. Lloyd was never one to obey doctor's orders. Genis was there as well, sitting by the fire and saying little. The group took it as worry for his best friend.

As everyone was eating breakfast, minus Zelos and Lloyd, Sheena threw open the door and held up the orb. "I got it!" She exclaimed.

"What is that?" Colette asked. "I thought you were going to talk to the Storyteller."

"Um…" Sheena struggled to reply. She didn't want to tell the group about the mysterious man, so instead she replied, "When Carbuncle and I got there…he was dead." She lied. "Carbuncle remembered about the Temple of Origin and we sped there in order to get this!"

Kratos recognized it and nodded. "Presea and Regal, will you hold down Zelos?"

The request was peculiar, but they nodded and went to either side of the bed, proceeding to hold down the warrior's arms. Behind Sheena, Raine walked in and noticed everyone present. "Sorry I'm late…" She looked over and saw Genis looking at her with a smile.

"You missed out on breakfast, but I think there's some left." He laughed.

Raine swallowed hard and looked away. "Oh um…I'm not hungry."

Sheena handed Kratos the orb and he went over towards Zelos. "Here goes." Holding it above Zelos' wounds, Kratos could see the scars light up black, then fluctuate to white. Immediately, Zelos starting yelling and jerking up and almost knocked the orb out of the angel's hand. "Hold him down!" He shouted.

Presea used a little bit more of her strength and held down one arm and one leg, while Regal grunted with the effort. Sheena closed her eyes at the pain her friend was going through and had to turn away. Raine saw Genis smirk in enjoyment, for only a moment, before he too turned away in boredom.

When Kratos pulled the orb away again, the wounds were gone and no more of the black infection remained. Everyone held their breath as Zelos moaned and opened his eyes. "Oh…_now_ where am I?"

Hearing his voice, Sheena whipped around and her eyes watered up with happiness. "Zelos! You're okay!" She pushed passed Regal and threw her arms around his neck.

Carbuncle bounded happily too and placed herself on top of his legs. "I just knew you'd pull through!" She giggled.

Grunting, Zelos struggled out of Sheena's death grip. "I won't last long if I can't breathe!" Sheena instantly released and giggled with a blush, mouthing a 'sorry'. Frowning, Zelos pulled up his right hand and everyone was surprised to see a double-edged sword with a golden colored exsphere on the hilt. "Whoa, so the kid really was telling the truth."

Sheena frowned. "What kid?"

"Long story. Later. Right now I'm hungry!" He complained.

Handing the orb to Raine, Kratos and Colette grabbed a hold of both Lloyd's arms and nodded to the scholar. Holding it over Lloyd's body, the group expected the same reaction, but jumped back when Lloyd not only began screaming, but a black shadow was being involuntarily pulled out of his body.

"What is that?" Genis exclaimed.

Sheena gasped. "It's just like Kuchinawa!"

Lloyd cried out and the shadow struggled to stay safe within its host, but Raine lowered the orb closer and an audible _howling_ could be heard as the shadow was pulled free and disappeared within the crystal orb.

"Lloyd?" Colette asked carefully, having yet to release her hold on his arm.

Kratos also held his breath as his son slowly opened his eyes and winced in fading pain. "Did I try Genis' kendama again? You guys really need to keep me away from that thing." He managed.

Genis laughed and shook his head. "No way man! There's no way I'd let you get your hands on it again! You'd end up choking yourself!"

Zelos smirked, interlacing his fingers behind his head as he laid back in his bed, feeling no ill effects from his previous wounds. "You scream like a girl, dude."

"I do not!" Lloyd countered, regretting it a moment later when the loud noise hurt his head more.

Kratos took a deep breath and stood up. "Welcome back, Lloyd."

"Huh?" Looking up, Lloyd struggled to remember everything that had happened. "Did I go somewhere?"

"…We can discuss that matter later, among other things. For now let's get you both something to eat so that you may regain your strength." Kratos said passing by Raine on his way out. "Hold onto that." He whispered. "We don't know when we may need to…use it again."

She nodded solemnly and stuck it in her pocket, the orb being about hand size in the first place.

"So guys, do you wanna hear this crazy dream I had?" Zelos said, all eyes turning on him.

Sheena crossed her arms. "Would this have anything to do with you going to bed with a sword?"

"It's not mine!" He protested.

"Then who's is it?" Regal asked.

Presea nodded from her side of the bed. "Whom did you take it from?"

"I didn't take it from anybody!"


	15. Opportunity For Revenge

Opportunity for Revenge

_"Dwarven Vow #3: You can never plan the future by the past."_

_Mizuho_

Zelos sat at the base of the tree in the very heart of Mizuho. He still wore his sleeveless pink and black top, even now during winter. The cold never really bothered him that much. In his black-gloved hand he held his new blade, equipped with a beautiful golden exsphere. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen! He'd recently sold his old sword and with the gald it brought in, he bought some lemon gels, pineapple gels, and even one of those Manji Seals that was said to increase one's eyesight. With the way the group was going, they ended up speeding through their previous lemon gels like candy. The former Chosen never particularly cared for the pineapple gels, but he'd do what he had to go keep up his healing arts and sword techniques. For calling them pineapple gels, one would expect them to taste as such, but they didn't. They were horrible and sticky.

The Manji Seal was another issue. _I can't believe I'm falling for this stuff._ He was never one to believe in charms for protection or any other such divine hocus-pocus. He trusted his abilities and skill alone. But then again, it wasn't for him was it?

_A wise choice…_Shinji's voice said to Zelos suddenly.

"Huh? You still here?" He asked, staring into the blade's smooth surface.

_Of course. Where else would I go? By the way, the charm was a wonderful idea._

"Hey, who said you could spy on me?" The warrior narrowed his eyes.

_…My apologies. I was merely trying to help._ The spirit replied.

Zelos sighed. "No, I'm sorry. Guess I'm just a little worked up lately with Zaichar and all." Eyes widening, he asked, "Hey, you said you could see through that Saitou guy right? Where's Zaichar's base?"

_Unfortunately, I couldn't tell you. The power of Omega emanating from Zaichar forced me to recall my conscious from Saitou. I do, however, have an idea as to his latest motives…_

"Alright, shoot."

Sheena came out from one of the houses and noticed Zelos sitting calmly back against the tree. She couldn't help but think of what might've happened had that stranger not helped her out. With Carbuncle talking to Lloyd and the others back inside, Sheena knew this was her chance to speak with the warrior alone.

Taking a deep breath, she walked up to his side and noticed that his eyes were closed. Was he sleeping? "Zelos?" She whispered quietly.

Jolting a bit, Zelos looked over and lowered his sword, which up until now had been held in front of him. "Hey Sheena, what brings you here?"

Shrugging, Sheena took a seat next to him. "I just thought it'd be nice to talk with you, you know without Carbuncle around."

Zelos smirked. "Aw, you missed me. That is so sweet."

Blushing, Sheena glared at him. "I never said that!" Sighing, she turned to look at the ground. "I guess I was just wondering…were you telling the truth about the sword and your dream?"

"Have you ever seen a gold exsphere before?" He asked. "Where else could I have gotten it from, since according to you, I passed out after your battle with Kuchinawa?"

"I guess so…" Sheena admitted. "So much has happened so fast."

"Yeah…"

"So…" Sheena said after a moment. "What was it like? Being surrounded by darkness and all? Could you hear anything from this side?" She wondered.

Zelos shook his head. "No, it was actually kinda boring." He admitted. Turning to her he thought to ask, "Why'd you volunteer to go anyway?"

"What kind of question is that?" She countered. "You've only saved my neck twice before, if not more!"

Letting out a little laugh, the warrior remembered the first instance to which she referred. "Heh, I can't believe you remember that."

"Of course!" Sheena insisted, her face getting flushed again. "It's…one of my most treasured memories."

Zelos was shocked by this, even as her voice lowered to a whisper for the last part, and wanted to give her the charm, but he wasn't sure how to go about doing it and was nervous.

_Hand it to her and tell her you love her._

Frowning, Zelos growled. "Shut up, no one asked you." He replied to the spirit.

Sheena narrowed her eyes and glared at Zelos. "_What_?" Already her hands were balled up into fists.

Waving his hands Zelos cringed, preparing a full frontal punch in the face. "No, no! Not you! Shinji!"

"Right…" Sheena shook her head and would've scolded him for using the spirit as a form of bailing out, when Colette came up to them and waved.

"Here you guys are. Kratos wants to meet with everyone." She said, then turned around and went back down the hill.

"Well, I guess we should get going." Sheena said sadly, slightly hurt from Zelos' shout. Standing up, she followed Colette to the west part of the village where Lloyd was recovering.

"You gotta believe me! It was Shinji!" Zelos called out after her, then sighed.

_You're not very good at this, are you?_

"Shut up." Zelos grumbled, then followed the ninja away from the tree.

As the group waited for Colette and the others, Lloyd scratched Carbuncle behind the ear, being reminded of how much he missed Noishe and how he would scratch his dog in the same manner. Kratos would periodically flash a smile in the pair's direction when he thought no one was looking.

Raine sat closer to the door, but decided to join her brother near the fire. Sitting behind him on a stool, she raised her hands and tried to warm up from the unbelievable cold.

Genis saw her and looked up with a smile. "So, are you sure you're still not hungry? I didn't have as many ingredients as I'm used to, but the curry came out pretty good. It does just the thing to warm you up."

"No thanks. I'm fine, really." She insisted, still unnerved at his usual behavior, versus what she was certain she saw in the forest mere hours before. "Say Genis," She asked as casually as she could manage. "I tried to check up on you last night and couldn't find you anywhere."

"Oh that!" He exclaimed. "Chief Igaguri asked to talk to me about the elves of Heimdall and what we found out so far."

_"I bet if me and my sister were to go missing, nobody would come looking for us either!" _She shivered from the memory and leaned closer to the fire.

"You okay? You aren't getting sick, are you?" Genis asked concerned.

"N-no, I'll be fine." She said through chattering teeth. It wasn't because she was cold, but more because of the feelings she got from being near her little brother. _It's just like…at the Tower of Mana…_

Kratos watched as Colette, Sheena and finally a sulking Zelos took their seats before addressing everyone. As his eyes scanned the faces and expressions of each person present, the angel was reminded of all the times the group shared, the struggles and hardships that made them the person they were today. With those memories in his heart, he couldn't help but feel a deep bond connecting each of them, their fates no longer alone, but intertwining. With this in mind, he swore anew that Zaichar would not have his way with them or anybody else.

"It appears Zaichar's motives…have changed." He began. "He's still after the summon spirits, but by causing interference on all sides like he did last night suggests he sees us all as a threat."

Colette agreed with a nod of her head. "With the power of Omega, it seems he can infect anyone with darkness."

"Who is Omega exactly? Do you know Kratos?" Regal asked.

"Yes, Omega was one of the summon spirits Mithos later went searching for but never found."

"We learned from Dirk and Altessa that Omega had a shrine deep underground. They said someone summoned him and then just abandoned the shrine and cave all together. I think it's safe to say that was Zaichar." Sheena spoke up.

"Omega was created at the same time as the Origin and the rest of the summon spirits, but his mind was as dark as the element he possessed." Carbuncle stated from Lloyd's lap. "The Goddess Martel sealed him away and prevented him from effecting the planet, like the others so often do. What makes the plants grow? What makes the sun rise every morning? It's the individual powers of the summon spirits that control everything around us." Sighing, Carbuncle snuggled closer to the youth's warmth before continuing. "The mana that emanates everywhere, though a lot of it now comes from the Great Viscus Tree, was a direct result from these interactions."

"What did Omega do that made Martel fear him?" Zelos wondered.

Presea turned to the warrior. "Death, though it comes to everybody, is a slowly degrading system. It does not happen at once for everyone. Death comes for some, but leaves others to live out their lives. Fate and destiny have been related to the reason of death and the meaning of life. It may have been possible to lock him away to control how many died and how many lived."

"Unfortunately we don't much more than that. Zaichar plans to start a war, but that doesn't coincide with the power of Omega." Kratos said.

"Yes it does." Zelos spoke up suddenly. "Get the people to turn on each other and you'll end up with a really big audience. All he has to do is prove his power to a few and the masses with proclaim him the next world leader."

"And who told you this?" Sheena wondered with a cross of her arms.

"The voices in his head again?" Presea answered.

"His name is Shinji and yes because he told me! Now would you guy stop teasing me?" Zelos begged.

Colette giggled, but thought to mention. "Hey, why don't we check up on Yuan and see what he's found out? If he really is back to normal, then Luccia will still have him back in the forest."

Sheena, upon hearing this, paled and stood up. Zelos saw this and got worried. "Yo, Sheena, you alright?"

Staring at Colette in shock, Sheena found it hard to breath. "W-what did you just say?"

Colette frowned and replied. "Well, you remember that elf that helps us at the tower? She offered to take care of Yuan after we saved him."

"But w-what was her n-name?" Sheena asked again.

"Oh, Luccia. And the other one is called…"

"Take me there!" Sheena exclaimed. "Let's go see them!"

"Sheena?" Raine asked, worried. "Is something wrong?"

Looking down sadly, Sheena was afraid to say anything for fear that she was wrong. "Luccia is…the name of my mother."

"But you're human and she's an elf." Genis reminded her coldly.

"Well, we have to go there anyway, right? It's not like it's out of the way or anything, so…"

Kratos nodded. "She's right. Let's get going."

"Hey Lloyd, what's up with you? You haven't said anything during this whole conversation." Genis spoke to his friend.

_"How could you?" "Haven't you done enough?" "You care nothing about anyone! You ruined so many lives!"_ Lloyd remembered all those voices from children he didn't even know. Was it all just a bad dream? Who were they_? "Didn't you say you loved her?"_ Looking up, Lloyd met Colette's worried gaze, and somehow worried about her future. "I-I'm fine, sorry. Just spaced out a bit."

"Perhaps we should wait one more day." Regal suggested.

"No, no. I'm good. Sorry. I'll be ready in just a few." Lloyd insisted. "Let's go see Yuan!"

Renegade Base: Triet 

A renegade soldier placed the report on Yuan's desk and stood back as his leader look over the details. "There have been many skirmishes all across the land, usually half-elves against humans and vise vera, but none of it points in one definite direction. If Zaichar is behind it all, he has operatives in all those locations causing the trouble." He explained.

"Hmm, this doesn't really help us at all in locating his base. It does however give us a clue as to his recent actions." Yuan replied, examining the details. "These cities are small in comparison, but the villagers will no doubt spread the word and unrest will soon befall everyone. We have to find a way to stop this."

The man locked his hands behind his back. "Do you think Zaichar will target the World Council next, Lord Yuan?"

Looking up with concern the angel replied, "Let us hope not. The aftermath would be devastating and we would lose whatever stability the Arbitrator has created."

The door to his office was thrown open and another renegade came running in. "Lord Yuan! An army force of angels and dark elves has gathered just outside our gates! Zaichar is leading them!"

Jumping to his feet, Yuan narrowed his eyes and unconsciously clenched his hands. _How dare he show himself here! This time…I won't let him get away!_ Pointing to the messenger, Yuan commanded, "Get the word out to any nearby troops. Tell them to return to base immediately! Also, contact our Flanoir base and get a Rheaird Air Force over here as quickly as possible. Use the DTS to transport them here if necessary!"

"Yes sir!" The soldier saluted and rushed out to carry out the order.

Turning to the one who'd brought him the report, Yuan shouted, "Sound the alarm and get the troops we have here to the front gate now! Arm the second level cannons and top-mounted cannon! Wait for my signal to fire!"

"Understood, Lord Yuan!" The soldier ran off out the door as well.

Yuan ran out of his office and towards the elevator that led downstairs. Rushing to the front gate as soon as the doors opened, the Renegade leader was soon joined by at least two-dozen other loyal soldiers who would fight to their last breath to defend their home.

As soon as he exited into the hot burning desert that surrounded the base, his eyes caught sight of the attack force led by the Dark Elven Lord. In the air were a dozen black winged angels, half spellcasters, and half dual-wielding swordsman. Their leader, Saitou, flew in front of them, smirking in anticipation. On the ground was four times the amount of ground troops as in the air – dark elves led by a female dark elf mage.

Zaichar floated in front of them all, surrounded by his black hued shield. In his hands was a limp body. "I believe this is yours?" Throwing it to the ground, it landed with a grunt at the leader's feet.

Immediately recognizing Kiga, Yuan knelt down in disbelief. "N-no…Kiga!"

The man was scraped all over his body, evidence of his abuse by Megami's hand, and the wounds pulsated with black mana. "L-Lord Yuan…I…I have failed you. One of our reconnaissance groups was…discovered in…Triet…" He reported. "I went there too…" Coughing, blood dribbled out of the corner of his mouth.

"Shh, rest now." Yuan tried to sooth. Raising a hand over his body, Yuan tried applying his healing arts, but his mana was repelled by the darkness infecting the second-in-command's sores.

"L-Lord…Yu…ahhh!" Arching his back, Kiga cried out as his wounds exploded with darkness and the mana seemed to devoir him from the inside out.

Jumping back, Yuan raised his cloak to deflect the black mana as it shot out in all directions…along with Kiga's body, or at least pieces of him.

Zaichar laughed, along with his two generals, and shrugged. "That's the price you pay for your ignorance. You cannot stand up against me. You couldn't then and you still can't now."

Yuan grit his teeth and looked up at the one responsible for Kiga's…untimely death. Upon locking eyes with him, Yuan's body filled with a rage he'd not felt in a long time. Calling out his butterfly sword, Yuan held it tightly in two hands. "I will destroy you for killing both Kiga and Martel! Zaichar…I swear I'll send your body to hell!" His mana charge glowed bright blue and as he let out a battle cry for revenge, his wings appeared behind him, flaring out madly on either side of him. He took to the sky and barely recollected the cannons going off or the renegades below rushing into battle behind him. His eyes were locked on Zaichar and no one else.

Zaichar saw the angel rush in and smiled. "Yuan…your life ends today!"

_Gauracchia Forest_

Sheena walked in front of the group, on her sides were Lloyd, Colette and Kratos a little further behind. Kamai saw them coming from his office on the third level and smiled in greeting. Sheena's heart beat rose to her ears and she was incredibly nervous. She looked up and met Kamai's gaze and it was then, somehow, she knew the truth.

Kamai leapt down in front of her and couldn't believe it himself. "I dare not believe it is actually you…Sheena?"

The group gasp, but the ninja had yet to say anything. "You know her?" Zelos exclaimed. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for her, he was just massively shock.

"Luccia! You must come here! Quickly!" Kamai shouted back above.

The elven woman appeared in the balcony outside the office and saw the group below. "Wind!" Wind surrounded her and she floated down safely by Kamai's side.

As Sheena looked back and forth between human and elf, man and woman, possibly mother and father, her tears built up in her red eyes but had yet to fall.

Luccia looked upon the ninja and a hand flew to her mouth in surprise. "Sheena?"

Sheena took a step back and shook her head. "How can you two…are you really?"

"I know this must be a shock for you. Let us go inside where we can explain what has happened since the night of your…abduction." Kamai offered and joined Luccia as the group disappeared inside.

Sheena remained quiet as Kamai and Luccia explained the occurrences of nearly two decades ago, but still wondered how they could be her parents. "Am I…a half elf then?"

Luccia nodded.

"But wouldn't we have sensed it before?" Raine asked.

"Remove your arm sheath and look at your right wrist." The elven woman suggested softly.

Sheena lifted her hand and slowly pulled away the lavender and blue sheath that acted as her light armor. Underneath was a golden bracelet with elven writing on the inside. "This?"

The elf nodded. "We placed that on you to conceal your birthright. We did it to protect you."

Lloyd smiled and patted the ninja on the back. "That's why you could summon Sheena!"

Kamai leaned forward. "Sheena, we are so sorry we couldn't be there for you when Zaichar took you away. Had we known…"

"I know. I don't blame you." She let out a short laugh. "Heck, up until now I didn't even know you guys were still alive."

"But it does leave to question why Zaichar returned her to Mizuho instead of using her like he did Luccia." Kratos wondered aloud.

"We will have to ask him when we meet him next." Presea said from the rear.

"That's right!" Colette exclaimed. "Luccia, is Yuan still here?"

The elemental shook her head. "He returned to his base in Triet. He said he intended to start a new investigation into Zaichar's whereabouts and the location of his base."

"Then we need to speak with him and find out where Zaichar's hidden himself!" Lloyd stood up with determination.

Kratos shook his head. "All of us going there would be pointless."

"Then perhaps half should remain? Four should be adequate while the rest stay here." Regal suggested.

"Good idea." Lloyd agreed. "Me, Kratos, Regal and Colette will go…"

"I'm going too!" Sheena stood up. "I have to find out where he is so I can ask him what happened!"

"Sheena," Lloyd placed two hands on her shoulders. "You've just been reunited with your parents. Maybe it's a good idea to spend some time with them. Trust me, I know."

Sheena met his gaze and realized he spoke of his experience with Kratos. "A-alright…"

"If we find out anything, we'll contact you." He promised.

As the group separated and friends said goodbye, Genis snuck out through another door. Raine saw this and was about to follow him when Presea gently grabbed a hold of her arm. "I'll talk to him."

Raine's eyes widened when the girl walked past her through the same door as her brother. The healer believed she was the only one who'd noticed his strange behavior, but it was obvious now that she was wrong. "Be careful…Presea."

Genis wandered around for a bit, just thinking to himself, and as he opened the door leading to the roof, he let out a heavy sigh. What had come over him to make him act so aggressive last night in the forest? Lloyd and the others were doing everything they could to stop Zaichar and rescue the remaining villagers of Heimdall. So why did he think leaving the group and chasing Zaichar on his own would bring better results?

**_Just as light attracts light, darkness attracts darkness. Find him and you will find your destiny._**

Gasping, Genis grabbed his head and almost lost his balance, lowering down to one knee instead as the voice from before returned to haunt him. _I-I'm not like him! I don't seek out power and control those around me!_ He countered.

**_Perhaps not…but with more power, you could achieve anything you desire. You could find your friends all on your own and never be weak again!_**

The mage forced himself to her feet and staggered over to the edge of the roof. "Never…be weak…?" Genis whispered.

"Hello." A tiny voice greeted from behind.

Spinning around, Genis caught sight of a half-elven child around the age of four or five looking at him curiously. "What are you doing here?" He snapped. Eyes going wide, he forced himself to relax and sat down. "Sorry." The mage apologized. "I mean...what are you doing up here? It's dangerous, you could fall."

Shrugging, the boy sat down next to Genis, "What are you doing here? Isn't it lonely being here by yourself?" The child asked instead.

"Sometimes I like being alone…to think." He admitted.

The boy looked intently at Genis before saying, "You're like us, huh?"

The mage scoffed turning away. "Maybe."

"Why are you mad? Big Brother always tells us it's a gift to be a half elf. We're different but unique."

Genis withheld a small laugh. The child merely repeated what was being told to him, but couldn't pronounce the words very well without his front two teeth. "Sometimes being different is a bad thing." He replied. _I'm such an idiot. _Genis thought. _Why am I bothering to speak to a child?_

"But if you get mad at them, they'll only hate us more." The boy quoted from his Big Brother Kamai. "Big Brother teaches the older kids lots of cool stuff so that they can get stronger."

**_Strength is all that matters…_**

The boy continued, not noticing Genis's inner struggle. "Then they leave and get humans to like us better." A bell rang and the kid instantly jumped up excited. "That's the lunch bell! The food's been way better since Sis got here! You wanna come?"

Genis' forced a smile. "No it's okay. You go on ahead." He watched to make sure the kid got to the door safely before running a hand through his hair in distress. "Will humans ever understand us or are we just fooling ourselves with this mission of peace?"

"Don't close off your heart, Genis. In the end, it's the only thing that can save you." A voice said from the depths of the forest.

Jolting to his feet, Genis unhooked his kendama and spun to face the vastness of Gauracchia Forest. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Genis, whom do you speak to?" Presea approached from the door, closing it behind her. "Is something wrong?"

Realizing it was only Presea, Genis gave one last glare towards the forest before replacing his weapon to his hip. "No…everything's fine." He said slowly before giving her his full attention.

Presea tilted her head and met Genis' still slightly angry expression. "You have been acting…strange lately." She brought up. "I was…worried."

Genis scoffed and plopped back down on the roof. "I'm fine. Am I not allowed to be angry?" He asked. "Maybe Lloyd's not the only one of our group that's grown up."

Presea nodded, but remained standing. "This is true." She admitted. "But anger is a difficult emotion with many unseen possibilities and consequences."

"Well I'm not hurting anybody, so why does it matter?" Genis was upset that the axe girl had begun sticking her nose where it didn't belong.

"On the contrary, you are hurting your sister." When Genis gasped and looked up at Presea for the first time and really looked into her eyes, he began to feel guilty. "May I share something with you?" When he didn't protest, she turned and sat on the edge of the roof, a one-foot raised border surrounded the roof to prevent accidents. "When Mithos attacked Ozette, and my home village was nothing but a blazing fire before my eyes…" She saddened in memory and the mage began to feel for her. "I was angry for the first time I could remember. The home of my father and my sister was being destroyed and there was nothing I could do. Later, when I realized Regal was the cause of my sister Alicia's death, I hated him. I was angry at him for killing her, even if it was what she desired."

"Presea…"

"I do not know what you faced while inside that illusion at Welgaia, but I saw Alicia, alive and standing before me." The girl who'd lost so much time to the cruxis crystal within her continued. "Regal saw she was an illusion, but I didn't want to believe it. My hatred for him renewed and I turned on him. Lloyd stood between us and stopped our fight. I learned that night…that it was easier to hate than to forgive, but it's that fine line that makes us better than Mithos and those who harm others for personal benefit. If I gave into my anger and struck Regal down, I would be no better than Varley and Rodyle, the real people responsible for Alicia's murder."

As Presea continued to talk with Genis, the cloaked figure remained watching solemnly, perched high in one of the trees and camouflaged perfectly by his brown cloak. His hood still covered his face, but he once again smiled in pride. "At moments in our life, we are given choices. While some doors close to us because of our decisions, others are opened." He spoke quietly to himself. "This is how we create our own fate. This, Genis, is how we find our destiny."

_Renegade Base: Triet_

"This would've taken forever had you not summoned Aska, Lloyd." Regal complimented.

Laying back comfortably on one of the birds' neck, the youth smirked. "No kidding!"

Kratos sat cross-legged a little further back and kept his eyes narrowed on the horizon. He could sense it, just a few miles out, a tremendous gathering of mana both Zaichar's and that of the light. "Be careful." He warned. "Something's amiss up ahead." He said, putting it mildly.

Colette gasped and turned her head forward from the other birds' neck. "You're right! There's a major battle being fought in the desert!"

Lloyd sat up and held onto Aska's feathers for support. "Let's hurry Aska! They may need our help!"

The Bird of Light cawed in compliance and sped even faster through the air towards the desert. He was very careful with his passengers and kept both heads straight while Colette and Lloyd held on tightly. He could feel the angel behind him using a special mana technique to keep from falling off without having to grab on as each youth and the other warrior had to.

Kratos saw the yellow blanket of sand approaching and stood up in anticipation, still having yet to loose his balance, as the exchanges of mana through spells and battle appeared to him as clearly as if he could see them. One particular signature worried him…its blue radiance counteracting a far darker aura as the two went at it. As the group passed over Triet, Lloyd and Colette even stood up and moved back over Aska's body towards the angel.

"Seems Zaichar's made another appearance." Regal commented, standing up last.

Lloyd pulled out both material blades and gritted his teeth. "We'll take him down this time!" He exclaimed with determination.

_Yuan…_ Kratos thought worriedly. The temptation of revenge and darkness were great for his long time friend and Kratos knew he had to be there to prevent his comrade from running down that path. At the moment of Kvar's death, Kratos had kept his cool – thinking only of Anna and the suffering the scientist made her go through – instead of filling his heart with pure anger and thirst for payback. His son was to thank for that…Lloyd had been what saved the angel. The same could not be said for Yuan and Kratos would be there for him.

"Let's do it guys!" Lloyd exclaimed, jumping off Aska towards the battle below. His wings grew from his shoulder blades and fanned out to slow his descent. Colette was quick to follow, while Kratos unsheathed his sword and turned to Regal. "Take the ground troops. I will handle Yuan and Kvar."

Nodding, Regal looked down and saw Lloyd and Colette already engaging the aerial troops. "Okay. Be careful."

Scoffing with a smile, Kratos called out his wings and leapt off the summon spirit, gliding down towards the main battle on the field.

"Care to let me off a little closer to the ground?" Regal asked lightly of the bird. Circling around, Aska came in low and gave Regal a good twenty foot leeway as he jumped off and landed in the center of a group of dark elves. "Eagle fall!" He called out, toppling all five warriors around him. "Crescent moon!" As a sixth warrior came charging in with its silver claws, Regal flipped backwards – landing a hit with his razor sharp shin guards, opening up his enemy from chest to chin. Grabbing the gushing wound, black blood flowing down its neck despite their efforts and the warrior went down in convulsions. "Who's next?"

"Holy wings, I beg of thee to reveal thy glory. Angel Feathers!" Colette prayed to the goddess and released her mana into the air, the powerful energy taking the form of her chakrams as they flew forward and cut down a large group of angel spellcasters.

The remaining angels turned and hissed at the intruder, before getting ready to cast their own spells. Colette didn't give them the chance; because she flew forward and released her real chakrams cutting free the arms and legs of the flying force.

"So beautiful yet so deadly." Saitou said from Colette's side.

Twisting her body in midair, the angel-girl caught her weapons on the rebound and faced off with the angel. "You! You're the one who attacked Lloyd that night outside the forest!"

"Beautiful and smart." Saitou winked. "It would be a pity to destroy something as unique as you."

"What would you know of beauty?" She countered. Spinning around, she threw her chakrams at the angel, but he deftly dodged them.

Smirking the dark angel shrugged. "All is fair in love and war." He said before rushing in with his pike. The sharp edge narrowly missed the former Chosen as she gasped and dove to the side. Catching her chakrams, she replaced them to her hips, "You tried to hurt Lloyd! I won't let you get away!" She swore, gathering her mana around her in preparation.

"Not harm him…simply get him to understand the power within him." Saitou rushed forward and tried to disrupt her spell casting, but she dodged again and her mana only grew in intensity. "One with power such as he always have two destinies. One of the light and one of the dark. Should he join us…this entire world would be under Zaichar's control in no time."

Narrowing her eyes, Colette began chanting the spell as the last of the necessary mana surfaced. "Thy faithful servant asketh for thy blessing. Honor us with the splendor of thy song. Holy song!" From out of her body, a shockwave of pink mana exploded covering nearly every corner of the battlefield.

Saitou raised his pike to deflect the attack, but laughed when nothing happened to him. "That's it? Perhaps you are not as smart as I thought."

"Oh but I think she is." From behind Saitou, Lloyd flew down – glowing with the same pink mana, his body's defenses raised and his swords glowing with an inner power. "Super Sonic Thrust!" Lunging forward with his aqua blade, Lloyd rammed forward – hoping to pierce the angel all the way through, but Saitou acted quickly and raised his pike enough to block the blow.

The sheer force of the lunge made him fly back until he skidded against the ground. Saitou glared up at the duo and as a renegade soldier let out a battle cry and charged in with his sword, the dark angel absent mindedly dispatch of the weakling with a flash of his blade and jumped up to fly into the air against his true enemy, just as the soldier's head rolled onto the ground, now left unrecognized in the chaos of battle.

"Ready?" Colette asked.

Lloyd nodded. "Here we go!"

"Heavy tiger blade/Pow pow hammer!" The two exclaimed.

As soon as Saitou rose up to their level, Lloyd raised his blade up twice and down twice, hoping to slice the dark angel in two. The general managed to block the first strikes, but Colette's mana hammer came from the top and slammed him down with a light amount of force. But force wasn't the point of her attack. It was distraction. As Saitou ran his pike sideways to slam the hammer safely to the side, Lloyd came down with his second slash and landed a hit down across the dark angel's chest.

Lloyd let out a whoop of victory as Saitou grunted in pain and clutched his deep wound. "Just a little teamwork there for ya!"

Saitou growled and rushed in to fight again.

Kratos appeared at Yuan's side as the Renegade leader growled and dove in to attack again after being knocked back. By the attention the dark lord was using against Yuan, it was obvious he was just toying with him. "Yuan! Think about your attacks! Your emotion will only reveal your moves to Zaichar! You have to force down your anger and fought with a clear mind!"

Yuan slashed with both ends of his butterfly sword and shook his head angrily, his eyes never leaving Zaichar's smirking face as his opponent countered with a butterfly sword of his own. "No! He killed Martel! He will pay for her death!"

Worried for his friend, Kratos joined into battle with him and aimed for any exposed spots Zaichar left during his battle with Yuan. "Why have you shown yourself here, Zaichar? What do you plan to accomplish with this impending war?" He asked calmly as he parried Zaichar's blows and countered with thrusts of his own.

"Wars are only possible because humans are so simple minded. They can never live in a peaceful world with others unlike their own without someone to _guide_ them." The dark lord replied.

"By guide, you mean a dictatorship." Kratos spelled out.

"If we defeat him here, there will be no more threat of war!" Yuan shouted, now alternating between swords strikes and mana blasts. "The peace can be rectified!"

Zaichar laugh. "That's what you think! With the elves of Heimdall missing, both sides will not relent even if I am not here to stir up the mix." He countered. Throwing out his arms, the black sphere around him keeping him afloat expanded outwards, blowing back both angels to a further distance. "Now you see the true power I wield that will be the foundation for my ascension! Omega, come forth!"


	16. Those Chosen By Fate

Those Chosen By Fate

_"Dwarven Vow #25: A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected _

_without trials."_

_Gauracchia Forest_

Sheena laughed as her parents told her stories of her when she was little – things she could never have known had it not come from her parents…her true parents. "So…you guys never really abandoned me, after all." She said lightly with a smile on her face.

"Of course not." Luccia assured, placing a hand gently on her daughter's knee from her spot directly across. Kamai and herself sat on one couch while Sheena sat opposite in another. "We love you and have always loved you."

"We are so blessed to have you back in our lives." Kamai commented with a smile.

"And a heroine none the less! Now we're happy and proud!" Luccia exclaimed laughing.

Sheena blushed. In truth, she'd always wondered if her parents were happy the way she turned out or unhappy in her failures within the village. "I didn't do anything…really."

"Nonsense!" Luccia insisted. "Only those the summon spirits deem worthy can wield their power. You made pacts with all nine of them! Accomplishing that in itself speaks volumes!"

"You've brought all of Mizuho great honor." Her father said.

"Yeah, come on Sheena. Take some of the credit." Zelos commented walking in.

Gasping Sheena stood up. "Z-Zelos!" Something about the man she liked meeting her parents gave her an adolescent sense of dread.

"The one and only." The red haired youth saluted Sheena's parents and sat down casually next to the flustered ninja.

"What are you doing here?" Sheena hissed in a whisper.

Unperturbed by her anger, Zelos continued to smile to Mommy and Daddy. "Oh come on, _hunny_. You don't have to be shy. I wanna hear all about your baby years. Was she a screamer or a runner?"

"What the heck are those?" The ninja at his side demanded.

Kamai laughed. "I can explain that one. A screamer is one that'll just stand there and scream or bawl when they've done something wrong. A runner is one that takes off and hides for fear of punishment."

"We have a lot of runners here." Luccia added with a grimaced. "Sheena was definitely a runner."

Again Sheena blushed. "Could we get off of me for one minute?"

"Why? It's all about Sheena today!" Zelos wrapped an arm around her and laughed. "Back when the king threw us a party…"

"Zelos!" Sheena begged.

"Hang on. It's not that long of a story." Zelos quieted her. "Anyway, the king threw us a party and made this big announcement thanking us and stuff. Well Sheena doesn't like crowds too much, as I soon found out, and I had to drag her all the way to the podium!"

Both Luccia and Kamai laughed as Sheena blushed in more embarrassment. "Zelos, when we're away from here, you better keep one eye open when you sleep."

As she threatened the warrior, Carbuncle came bounding in, fur mangled and unkept, pieces of food covering her small form. "W-we got to get out of here Sheena!"

Disturbed, Sheena jumped to her feet. "What's wrong?"

Hearing children laughing, Carbuncle ran underneath the couch Sheena and Zelos were sitting on and whispered loudly. "I'm not here!"

The gang of children came running in laughing and giggling. "Where's the kitty? We want to play some more!"

"Oh Carbuncle? She's right here." Zelos bent forward and pulled the guardian out from underneath the couch by her tail and smirked as he handed her back to the children. "Have fun!"

"I'm going to get you back for this Zelos! Next time you're dying, I'm not gonna bothering saving your neck!" Carbuncle shouted as the children marched away with her.

"Keep piling up the enemies, Zelos, and you won't have a safe place to hide." Kamai warned.

Zelos laughed, but scratched his head in sudden nervousness as Sheena continued to glare at him. "Maybe you're right…"

_Renegade Base: Triet_

Regal locked his hands in front of him out of habit and kicked the nearest dark elf in front of him before flipping backwards to throw them into the air. "Rising dragon!" He called out, then performed a standard roundhouse to kick the descending enemy away.

"Quite the technique you have."

Recognizing the voice as Megami, Regal turned slowly to face her. "So, we meet again."

"Indeed. A chance to fight one-on-one, no?" She flexed her claws and raised an eyebrow.

Moving one leg back as he leaned forward, Regal nodded. "I accept your challenge."

Megami let out a high-pitched scream that the former criminal could only translate as a battle cry and watched her carefully as she charged in with one clawed arm raised.

This was going to be an interesting battle. One who fought with just her hands, and one that fought with only his legs. As Megami came down in a wide arc, Regal raised one leg and deflected the swipe with his armored shin guards – sparks flying as a result of the interaction – and twisted around to lash out with his other leg towards her stomach.

Catching his foot before it could hit her, Megami twisted and Regal had to move with the maneuver, twisting in midair, and landed hard on his back. Megami stabbed down with her metallic attachments and Regal rolledut of the way, sweeping out a leg to trip her as he recovered and got back to his feet.

Jumping up, Regal attempted to use his Eagle fall technique, but Megami managed to flip back and avoid being flattened. Rocks and dust kicked up under Regal's heavy stance and the two were left in a stand still once more.

"We are equally matched." Megami placed on hand on her hip and let the other raise to her mouth where she ran it across her lips.

"Yes, so it would seem." Regal agreed with narrowed eyes.

In the air, Colette and Lloyd still fought Saitou together, but also had to avoid being hit from the smaller cannons and energy lasers being fired off from the Renegade Base itself. Lloyd caught sight of angel warriors coming up behind Saitou to back him up, so he flew up above them and recalled his wings. Spinning forward, he held out his swords and called out, "Psi Tempest!" Gravity taking its course, Lloyd easily slashed through four more angel warriors, leaving the general to face them by himself.

As the youth called out his wings once more and steadied himself in midair, Saitou instantly realized he was surrounded. "Have I been outmaneuvered?" He questioned.

"Ray satellite!" Colette exclaimed.

"Double demon fang!"

Where their attacks clashed, Saitou's form was completely covered in the converging mana, but when it cleared away, he was nowhere to be found.

"Damn! He got away!" Lloyd cursed.

Seeing there was still trouble down below, Colette pointed to the ground. "Lloyd, we have to help them!"

"Right! Let's go!"

The black aura around Zaichar grew until a second entity appeared out of the sphere above the dark lord. As his body formed out of the black energy, Kratos and Yuan looked upon an exact replica of Origin except this one had pale white skin and dark black hair running down his back. In each of his hands was a sword carved right out of bone and across his stomach was a black sash with the angelic symbol for death. "Meet Omega! The summon spirit of death!" Zaichar announced maniacally. "Omega! Destroy them!"

Kratos' eyes widened as he saw Yuan rush in without thinking. "Yuan no!"

Zaichar chuckled and pushed Yuan aside with one half of his weapon, while attempting to attack his exposed back with the other. But luckily Kratos was there and barely blocked it with his sword. "Even you must see the logic in my actions. People without leadership, are no smarter than cattle. This world will dissolve into nothing more than a barren wasteland. It will become another Derris-Kharlan."

Kratos pushed forward on Zaichar's butterfly sword and quickly cast a lightning spell to get the dark lord to retreat. "We have a leader. The Goddess Martel will protect this land as she has for generations."

Yuan saw an opportunity to strike at Zaichar's back now as he paid attention to Kratos and aimed a quick mana blast. "Die, Zaichar!" He exclaimed in anger.

Though Omega was gathering mana to cast a spell, he noticed Yuan's action and both he and Zaichar disappeared. Yuan's mana blast flew through the air and struck Kratos straight in the chest. "Kratos!"

The former mercenary doubled over in pain as his friend flew to his side to steady him, Yuan's thirst for revenge evaporating immediately yet replaced by worry for his dear friend.

"There is no true goddess." Omega's deep voice announced from all around. "Those with the power control everything! Retribution!"

A black ball of mana came barreling down upon the two angels as they looked up in surprise. "Energy shield!" Yuan shouted, raising his sword.

"Guardian!" Kratos followed up.

Both barriers combined to form a swirling blue shield that trembled beneath the dark attack as it struck. Both angels grunted and held it up with everything they had.

On the outside, the barrier distorted and looked like it was about to collapse when out of the sky to the East, a force of six rheairds teleported to the battlefield, instantly firing augmented cannons and lasers at the now visible dark lord. Others aimed at the ground forces, expertly avoiding their own men.

"It's the Rheaird Air Force from Flanoir!" Yuan shouted as the powerful attack against them instantly ceased.

Omega and Zaichar both wore expressions of extreme anger and growled. "We are done here!" The Dark Lord shouted to his generals. Retreat!" Disappearing, he left the details to his second-in-commands.

Megami shrugged at Regal and winked. "Until next time." She laughed and whistled, recalling all of her troops back up into the mountains; the elves leaping easily up the jagged mountainside.

Saitou was the only one left from the aerial force and he was nowhere to be found anyway, having disappeared moments later.

"Dad!" Lloyd shouted, flying down to Yuan and Kratos as they recovered from their battle on the ground. "Are you alright?" He saw the front of Kratos' armor was melted and sizzling from an energy attack.

Kratos grunted, but nodded. "I'm fine. Zaichar simply caught me unaware." He said.

Yuan bit back from saying anything, knowing he would have to speak to Kratos about the truth of the matter at a later time. If he didn't want Lloyd to know, the Renegade Leader wouldn't say anything. "Remaining here would be dangerous. Is there anywhere else we can go to rest?"

"My house. It's near Lake Umacy." Kratos said through struggled breaths.

Yuan nodded. "I'll inform the rest of your group to meet us there."

Up in the air, Colette looked around and almost had to choke down a sob as bodies lay strewn everywhere, enemies and allies alike, and blood soaking every inch of desert sand. So many people died here today. And even if they won the battle, would they truly win the war? And at what cost?

_Lake Umacy_

The trip was short thanks to Aska and the group sat quietly in different areas. Genis had fallen asleep in one of the bedrooms, and Raine remained in the other one studying one of her books. Presea and Sheena joined up in the kitchen, while Regal and Zelos enjoyed the silence of the living room. Carbuncle was licking her fur clean after having her second run in with the children, and glared at Zelos from time to time.

Outside, Kratos sat on the rock next to the water, looking over the mirror surface and letting his mind wonder. Now it was no longer moving gently with the breeze, but instead frozen solid because of the cold. Just recently Colette had come up to him with a suggestion, to which he agreed, and she and Yuan ventured to Luin to gather supplies. In the beginning, only the angel-girl wanted to go, but when she saw how depressed Yuan was, she insisted he come too. Kratos was just happy with the calm surrounding environment.

That calm was short lived when Lloyd came out of the house and took a seat next to him. At first the youth didn't speak, expecting Kratos to start, but when it was obvious the angel wasn't going to say anything, his son spoke first. "So…how's your wound?"

Kratos raised a hand to his chest and gingerly tested its sensitivity. "Thankfully it wasn't very deep or I would need more time to heal."

"Oh." Lloyd turned to look at the frozen lake, noticing the layer of frost covering the leaves of the trees and surrounding rocks. "So, do you think Zaichar will ever leave me alone?" He asked suddenly.

Kratos shook his head. "Not likely. We have to be the ones to stop him."

Lloyd clenched his hands and grit his teeth as the anger grew within him before he knew it. "Why?" He snapped.

Closing his eyes, the angel took a deep breath of the chilling afternoon air. "Nervous?"

Shrugging, Lloyd forced himself to calm down. "Kind of. I guess I'm a little scared too." He looked down at the ground sadly.

Raising an eyebrow in his son's direction as he opened one calculative orb, Kratos questioned, "Lloyd?" The tone of the youth's voice was peculiar and gave the angel reason to worry.

"Before this all started, I was just someone who failed at school like lots of other people. I knew the Chosen…maybe that's what doomed me. Then people started hunting me for my exsphere!"

Leaning forward so he could rest his elbows on his knees, the experienced warrior told his son something his master told to him long ago. "It is not always clear why we endure such hardships. But what is important is that we make it through."

Lloyd crossed his arms in defiance. "What if I don't want to 'make it through'?"

"I know it's difficult…"

Shooting to his feet, Lloyd faced his father with anger and frustration. "You're right! It is! If not my exsphere, it'll be the summon spirits or something else that lands in my lap! When will I get to rest? When will I get the chance to live out my life in the peaceful world that I helped to create?"

Kratos was now very disturbed and stood up to face his son. The words he spoke were unlike what his personality usually was and the angel wondered what would cause him to be so pessimistic. Lloyd had struggled through a lot, yes, but he was never one to give up and never backed down. "Lloyd…"

Lloyd slouched his shoulders and turned away back inside the house. "Forget it." He droned. "It doesn't matter."

The Next Day… 

Lloyd rolled over in his bed and unconsciously scratched his stomach in his sleep. Having found everyone at least some sort of accommodations somewhere in the house, both Genis and Lloyd had been stuffed in one room, while the girls were squeezed into the other seeing as it had the bigger bed. Only Yuan, Zelos, Kratos, and Regal remained in the living room, forced to sleep on the floor, though Lloyd doubted either angel slept at all. When the youth sat up and looked around, he noticed Genis had already woken up and left.

Glancing down at his shirt, Lloyd rolled his eyes as he saw he'd fallen asleep with his shirt on and that it was now all wrinkled. _I guess that's the least of my problems._

_I would have to agree._ Origin replied. _Zaichar gave up without much protest yesterday, which leads me to believe he already has other plans._

Frowning, the boy threw his legs over the side of the bed. "Well, with all those rumors he started, if we don't do something about it soon, another great war will break out." _Why do I always end up in the middle of things like this?_

_Because Fate has chosen you to do so. Does this displease you? The human with whom I made the pact seemed determine to set things right. You are merely carrying out your wishes and dreams._

"I didn't wish for this!" Lloyd countered angrily. "I wanted to stop Mithos, yes. And I wanted a peaceful world where everyone can live equally."

_Then you must fight for what you believe in. It's the only way._

Growling, Lloyd pushed off the bed and adjusted his clothing to try and get the wrinkles out. "I know, but this Zaichar is making that rather difficult!" He told the summoned spirit sarcastically.

_Nothing in this world comes easily, Lloyd Irving. _

"So I'm told." Sighing, Lloyd walked to the door and opened it with a lazy expression, hoping the group would catch the hint and leave him alone. But when he looked into the living room, there was no one there. "Guys?" He questioned.

Jumping out from behind the counter and couches, everyone smiled and shouted, "Surprise!"

Nearly falling over in shock, Lloyd steadied himself against the wall and looked around in disbelief. "Huh?"

Colette giggled and ran around from the counter, smiling from ear to ear. She took Lloyd's hands into hers and jumped up once. "Don't tell me you forgot? It's your 19th birthday!" She exclaimed.

Still blinking in confusion, Lloyd looked past his friend and gazed around the room. Sure enough festive decorations were strewn everywhere, thanks to Sheena and Raine's co-efforts. A wonderful spice cake now sat on the counter, made by both Presea and Genis. When the youth looked over at his father and Yuan standing half hidden behind the chair, he saw Kratos wore one of the few smiles he ever remembered him having. "This is all…for me?"

"Of course, dude!" Zelos raised his hands. "You went all spazzed out for Colette's birthday party, so she wanted to do something for yours. Nineteen, wow, you don't look a day over twelve." The swordsman joked.

"Hey!" Lloyd raised a fist in protest.

"Come on, Lloyd! You gotta try some of this cake!" Sheena exclaimed. "It took all of us to keep brain dead over there from eating it early!" She motioned over towards Zelos.

Carbuncle bounded on top of the counter and sniffed the three-layered cake hungrily. "They may have been able to stop Zelos, but you can't stop me from eating this all by myself!" She leapt for the savory baked good.

Presea caught the guardian and held her in her arms like a cat. "Now, how fair would that be to Lloyd if you left none for him?" She questioned.

Sighing, Carbuncle drooped a little. "Yeah…I guess you're right…"

Colette gave Lloyd a little tug and pulled him over to the counter. "Come on Lloyd! Today's your day!" She encouraged. Inside she knew he needed this more than anybody. It just happened to work out that today really was his birthday and Colette used the opportunity to lighten everyone's spirits. That was something she was always good at…other than falling down all the time.

Yuan looked over at Kratos with a smirk of his own. The trip with the angel-girl had been good for him, that and also apologizing profusely to his friend. He let his anger over take him and acted irrationally, resulting in his best friend getting hurt. Yuan knew Zaichar would not return to the Renegade Base if Yuan wasn't there to attack, so he would stay with Kratos' group for now. The dark elf had followed his informants' trail back to Yuan and attacked him to prevent further investigations. When the Renegade leader found the time, he would make a proper grave for his second-in-command.

While in Luin, Colette had spoken many a thing to Yuan, feeling that her opening up with him would result in him opening up with her and reveal the reason for his depression. In the end, Yuan hadn't revealed a thing, but learned quite a bit about Colette and her feelings for the half-angel boy. It was a relationship he would enjoy observing how it progressed. When he brought the manner up to Kratos, the mercenary – as always being caught up in his mission – noticed little about the girl's feelings for his son except for the fact that Lloyd was very overprotective of her. How Anna ever got through to Kratos was beyond him.

When the night calmed down, he would speak with everyone about his recent information and plan what they were going to do. As light as the mood was made out to be, they couldn't forget that Zaichar and his army were still out there somewhere. And sooner or later, he would strike again. Both male angels knew they had to prepare for other, more ruthless battles, if they were going to succeed in their struggles.

Colette pulled Lloyd away from the group in order to talk with him privately. As promised, the cake had been exquisite and Lloyd complimented both Genis and Presea's cooking skills. Around the back of the house, was a much larger patio, covered to protect them from any snowfall or rain, which wouldn't happen today since the sun shone brightly high above, granting the birthday boy a clear sunny day. The forest served as the backyard and Lloyd could see broken down training equipment that Kratos probably used to use in the days of old.

Colette stood on the edge of the patio, her hands holding something close to her heart. "I'm really glad you liked our surprise, Lloyd." She said with a smile.

Though she didn't look directly at him, Lloyd could see the blush that tinted her cheeks. "Well from what I heard, it couldn't have happened without you. Thanks."

She looked over and smiled wider. "It's the least I could do after the great present you gave me for my birthday."

Lloyd saddened and placed his hands on the hilt of one of the swords. "Yeah, really great gift. A key crest that didn't even work."

"That's not true! If you hadn't given it to me, Pronyma might've taken me to Derris-Kharlan then and Mithos would've won!" She tried to cheer him up.

As the two talked, Yuan and Kratos stood around the corner to the side of the house, watching carefully. Kratos leaned up against the wood, his arms across his chest like always, while Yuan watched straight ahead, not worrying if he got caught or not. Both angels were here to speak about something very serious. Yuan opened up his angel senses and confirmed what he already believe true. Looking at Kratos, it was unsure if he saw it too, but his friend had been his teacher in sensing mana and life forces, so it was obvious if he didn't focus on it now, it was something he had noted earlier.

Kratos saw his son's face contort with despair and regret from things in his past and worried for his son. It had been the angel's past that had held him back for so long and now he saw his son walking down that same lonely path. It had taken the loving embrace of a human female to reawaken the human side of Kratos and save him from the darkness. If Lloyd rejected that, there would be no saving him and Kratos refused to allow Anna's wish to dissolve.

"You can see it…can't you." Yuan said quietly. He saw Kratos nod solemnly before looking back towards Lloyd. "The feint black aura emanating around him…some of Zaichar's influence remains deep inside his heart."

"He will be strong enough." Kratos stated with determination, not once taking his eyes off his son.

"I hope so." Yuan sighed. "Because if not, history will repeat itself and this time we don't have a way to make the mana links to control them."

Kratos turned to Yuan and narrowed his eyes, the powerful orbs being visible through the hair covering one side of his face. "That won't happen."

"Um…Lloyd?" Colette said more quietly after their conversation ended sourly. "I got this for you. Happy birthday." She held out the charm.

"What's this?" Lloyd asked in a half annoyed manner.

The girl shied back at his tone, but continued hoping she could cheer him up. "It's a friendship charm, carved out of wood." Opening her hand she revealed two halves of a pendant, not connected to a chain at the moment. One side was of the sun and the other was a crescent moon. "They say if you give this to your soul mate, you'll always be together." Lifting the moon, she held it out for him. "This is your half. I keep the other one, that way…"

"You think something like this will keep us together?" He asked taking it from her and holding it up. "If we don't stop Zaichar, if I can't defeat Omega, then we can kiss this entire world goodbye. No matter how hard we try, the sacrifices that are made will mean nothing if another war breaks out. Thousands more could die and it would all be on my head!"

Tears brimming in her eyes, Colette shook her head. "No it won't Lloyd! You've fought hard to get us where we are and we'll keep fighting until both Zaichar _and_ Omega are history! I know we can do it!"

"We this, we that. This isn't about you, or Genis and Raine, or even Dad. This is about Zaichar wanting _my_ summon spirits. One-on-one with no one else. Don't you get that? Stay with me and your putting your life in danger!" He clenched his half of the charm tightly in his fist.

"I don't care! I don't ever want to leave your side, Lloyd! We're in this together!" Her tears fell freely down her cheeks, but she didn't dare give up. She would never leave Lloyd alone.

"Then don't expect me to save you every time, because I for one can't keep doing this anymore!" Leaning back from her a little bit, Lloyd looked away. "I'm tired of the fighting…Colette. It's never going to end…"

"Keep thinking like that and Zaichar's already won." Colette countered. When Lloyd looked shocked and turned to her, she couldn't hold it in anymore and ran back into the house crying.

Scoffing, Lloyd decided to go cool off and ran off in the opposite direction into the forest. "Damn it!" He exclaimed.

Inside, Sheena looked up worriedly at Zelos as Colette shook with sobs in her arms. "It's okay. I'm sure he was just stressed." She tried to sooth.

Running a fist into the palm of his other hand, Zelos growled. "I'm going to pound that kid in! You never make a woman cry!"

"Perhaps we should deeper into this." Presea commented calmly. The act of crying was foreign to her. Even with Alicia and her father, Presea didn't know how to cry and therefore didn't know how to sooth one who was crying.

Subconsciously, Raine feared what was happening to Genis was happening to Lloyd. Their group was slowly falling apart and she couldn't find a way to secure it.

"We just have to be patient." Yuan spoke to everyone as he walked into the living room.

"What does patience have to do with anything?" Carbuncle demanded. "Lloyd was just being a big jerk!" She huffed by Sheena and Colette's side.

"He…he didn't seem like Lloyd at all!" Colette hiccupped.

"We have to try and see this from his point of view." Regal commented. "Zaichar is only after Lloyd, not any of us. Because the summon spirits are now bound to Lloyd, only he is in danger of Zaichar's manipulative ways."

"We can help though." Yuan encouraged. "If we keep an eye on Lloyd and continue to join forces and stop Zaichar along the way, Lloyd will not feel the full weight of his responsibilities."

"He's right." Colette wiped away her tears. Opening her hand, she looked down at the sun carving in her half of the pendant. The two interlocked into one, but that would have to wait for another…auspicious day. "We can't give up on him yet. If we do, Lloyd will fall into darkness and be lost to us forever."

"If we stay positive, there's no way we can lose!" Genis exclaimed.

Zelos scoffed, but lowered his fist. "If you say so, but I'm still going to give him a good kick in the rear."

"I don't think that will be necessary." Yuan smirked knowingly. "Kratos has that covered."

Lloyd rested his head on the trunk of a tree and pounded the bark angrily. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! What am I supposed to do? I can't just wait for him to show up! I have to take the fight to him!" Punching the tree again, Lloyd sighed disheartedly.

"Why not attack something that can fight back?" Kratos asked from twenty paces away.

Looking behind him, Lloyd saw his father standing there with his sword drawn, pointed towards the ground. "What good would it do? No amount of sword skill is going to help me defeat Zaichar. With the power of Omega, he can sense and block all of my moves."

"Perhaps I should tell you how I became the swordfighter that I am today. It wasn't from training with my master. Though he taught me the basics, much of what I learned was self taught, here in this very forest."

Curious, Lloyd placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Really?"

Nodding, the angel continued. "There are many sounds surrounding us even when there is silence. If you learn to listen, you can find and identify those sounds and therefore see without having to see."

"What?" Lloyd asked confused. "I don't quite get it."

Sheathing his sword, Kratos bent forward and picked up a tiny rock. "Deflect this." He instructed, then threw it straight at his son.

"Whoa!" Lloyd unsheathed his swords and batted the pebble away from him. "You could've warned me!" He exclaimed angrily.

"Would Zaichar _warn_ you?" Calling out his wings, Kratos rose above the ground – another pebble already in hand – and dashed to Lloyd's left, throwing it again.

Lloyd watched his movement and easily deflected the projectile.

"Good." His father said. "Now, close your eyes."

"What?" Lloyd asked shocked. "I won't know…"

"Just do it." Kratos cut him off. "If you want to stand a chance against Zaichar, you're going to have to learn to see without using your eyes."

Growling in annoyance, Lloyd did as told and closed his eyes. Already he could hear the wind blowing through the trees, birds singing high in the canopy, and small squirrels gathering food from the snow covered ground.

Suddenly a pebble smack into his arm and he grunted with pain. "How was I supposed to know that was coming?" He shouted, not yet opening his eyes.

"You have to listen for it." Kratos replied.

Hearing his dad's voice from behind him, Lloyd whipped around and raised his sword, but caught only air until the pebble Kratos had flew in and hit Lloyd's chest.

"Merely having your angel senses is useless if you don't know how to use them." Kratos explained.

Gritting his teeth, Lloyd tightened his hold on his swords and tried to listen harder to the sounds around him. Still hearing the same sounds, Lloyd began to get impatient. _This is stupid!_ He thought. Then he caught the sound of Kratos' wings flowing and moving through the air. It was a higher pitch than the natural wind and focusing on it, he could separate it from the other sounds.

He heard it in front of him again, but didn't react fast enough and the stone caught him in the leg. Resuming his stance, Lloyd ignored his pain and focused again on the sounds his father made. Thinking carefully, he began to pick up the heavy material that made up his father's armor and cape, and even heard the material rubbing against itself. _He's raising his arm…_ Lloyd thought in amazement.

When he heard that same sound but faster, he knew his dad was throwing the pebble and spun as he raised his sword. The rock made a whistling sound as it flew through the air towards him and as he waited till it got to him, he twisted his sword and pushed forward, batting it back with a _clink_.

Hearing his father catch something, Lloyd opened his eyes in shock and saw he'd hit it back at Kratos, the angel holding it now in his hand. "You see?"

Lloyd was open mouthed in disbelief. "See without seeing…" He repeated.

Kratos nodded with a smile of pride. "Exactly."

Lloyd scratched the back of his head and looked at the ground nervously. "You think you're still up for a quick sparring round?"

Tilting his head, Kratos juggling the rock in his gloved hand. "I suppose I could spend a few minutes teaching you a lesson." Throwing it at his son, Kratos used the distraction and withdrew his sword, flying in to battle his son.

When Lloyd and Kratos returned to the house, the group pretended like they didn't know anything and remained quite as Yuan cleared his throat. "Kratos, Lloyd, I'm glad you're back. We've been discussing the information I received from my people just before Zaichar attacked."

"What did you learn?" The angel-boy asked.

"Well some of the towns have been experiencing trouble both with outside groups and internal struggles. The Arbitrator has called a second World Council to deal with the occurrences, but we have enough time to investigate them ourselves. Perhaps we can solve this before it escalates." He suggested.

"What cities have been most affected?" Kratos asked.

"Asgard, Triet, and Sybak."

"But why us?" Zelos wondered. "Don't they have their own militias?"

"With the strife being about half-elves and humans, the militias themselves are split, being made up from both races. Any local enforcement has probably been divided."

Lloyd nodded in understand. "Okay, Colette and I can get to Asgard pretty quickly from here." Part of him wanted to apologize for the way he treated her and this way they'd be alone.

"I'll go too. You don't know if Zaichar's forces will be there in the center of the commotion." Kratos stepped up. Taking a glance over at Yuan, he saw his friend nod in understanding. As long as one of them watched over Lloyd, they could protect him from himself.

"I will head to Meltokio and tell the Arbitrator about our…counter measures." Yuan agreed.

"Me, Sheena and the lovely Raine can scoot over to Sybak and take a look around." At the end of his sentence the former Chosen smirked, thinking about the delegates and how much fun he'd have bugging them in their own hometown.

Elbowing him mid chuckle, Sheena spoke up. "_In truth_ you just want to go with all women, don't you Zelos?" She teased knowingly.

When Zelos laughed nervously, one of his alternative motives discovered, Regal raised a hand. "I'll go. If we run into the representatives from Sybak, you're going to need me to keep Zelos in line."

"Aww! Now I don't want to go!" Zelos crossed his arms defiantly.

"The rest of us can head to Triet." Presea commented, motioning to Raine and Genis.

"I'll call my men and have them deliver us some spare rheairds for the trip." Yuan offered. "We have a week before the second World Council meets. Let's make the most of it."


	17. Darkness Beckons Thee

Darkness Beckons Thee

"Dwarven Vow #30: Anger of the mind is poison to the soul."

_Lake Umacy_

The group waited until the next day before filing out to the newly delivered rheairds. The mood was hopeful and determined for most of them, but a small air of anxiety could also be sensed within their mists.

Yuan joined by Kratos' side as he stood ready to leave towards the West and Asgard. "Kratos." His friend turned to him and gave the man a half smile in greeting. Looking carefully, Yuan noticed Kratos had replaced part of his melted armor with a spare shirt from within the house, but knew underneath the flesh had still been injured because of him. "I…I wanted to apologize."

The angel standing opposite him shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I know confronting Zaichar must've been…difficult."

"I cannot rest until Martel's death is avenged." Yuan replied with determination. "But that is no excuse for what I did. I am in your debt."

"Considering the wound I inflicted upon you back at Hima, I'd say we were even." Kratos gave his friend a smile. "Think nothing of it, my friend."

Yuan opened his mouth to reply, but it snapped shut in submission. As his anxiety settled he bowed to Kratos, a symbol of his resolution in the matter…and his gratitude.

Lloyd came up behind Colette and took a deep breath. "Hey, Colette um…"

Colette turned to face him, but he took an involuntary step back when he saw her eyes were so sad and downcast, that it reminded him of when she'd lost her soul…except this time, it was his fault. "It's okay, Lloyd." She interrupted him in a monotonous voice. "Let's just pretend it never happened."

Lloyd shook his head. "Look, I can explain…"

"I'm sure you can." She cut him off once more, not letting him finish his sentence. "But I really don't want to talk about it anymore." Inside she knew she would eventually forgive him, but being around him still pained her. Instead of seeing his happy, smiling and determined face, all she saw was the anger burning in his eyes and deep within his heart. It frightened her. She would focus on helping Asgard and ignore Lloyd. Later, when she was ready, she would talk with him…about everything.

When he opened his mouth to speak again, not being one to know when to silence himself, Colette turned and walked away from him towards the rest of the group. Sheena saw Colette come up to her and turned away from Lloyd as the angel-girl joined her side. "Colette, if you want to switch, I can always go with Lloyd and you can join Zelos' group. It must be painful to…"

Colette shook her head. "No, I want to stay with him. It's the only way I can assure myself that he's safe."

"But after the way he treated you last night?" Sheena asked in shock.

Colette kept her eyes glued to the floor as she spoke with the ninja. "I still…love him, Sheena. I don't care if he doesn't feel the same way, but I would be devastated if he were to get hurt and I wasn't there to give it my all and rescue him. When I faced my trials, he was there for me every step of the way…even after I lied to him about when I was leaving on my journey. He risked his life to save mine and that's a dept I want to repay to him."

Sheena nodded, knowing if she had a fight like that with Zelos, she wouldn't abandon him either. "Alright. Just be safe…and watch your back." She warned.

Zelos looked over the flying magitechnology and rubbed his chin in suspicion. "Hey Yuan, will these things fly alright because I don't want to crash into the ocean with Sheena again."

Sheena glared at Zelos and all nice thoughts of him flew right out the window. Carbuncle, who stood at Zelos feet, growled and jumped on his leg, biting his knee and shin. Zelos cried out and tried to unsuccessfully pull the guardian off him. "Well she did!" He protested.

Yuan allowed himself a small smile. "The rheairds should work find. I ordered them to be refueled so they should last you."

Presea and Genis were already mounted on one, having prepared first. Raine mounted a second on her own. "We'll catch up with you guys at the castle!" Genis waved.

"Be careful!" Lloyd called out. "And Presea! Watch out for Genis! Without me around, he may need you to save him!"

Genis growled and raised a fist. "I'll get you for that one Lloyd!"

Presea nodded, not understanding it was a joke. "Understood." Then she took off into the sky and quickly disappeared with both half-elves.

Sheena, Zelos, and Regal were the next to depart on two of their rheairds. The ninja rode alone, forcing her counterpart to reluctantly ride behind Regal on the other one. "This way if I 'crash', you don't have to worry about wetting your _precious_ hair." She teased with a roll of her eyes.

Zelos grumbled sadly and crossed his arms, refusing to hold onto Regal around the waist…like he always did Sheena. "This sucks." He complained as Regal followed Sheena.

Blue transparent wings coming to life behind him, Yuan addressed the last of the group. "I will ring out as much as I can at the castle. Good luck to you and may the goddess protect you."

Kratos nodded and watched his friend take to the skies. For the first time in a long while, the angel was apprehensive about the coming mission. The more encounters they had with Zaichar, the darker his son's future became. Even now, with a smile on the youth's face, Kratos could still see the pulsating blanket of night surrounding his son - influencing his decisions and controlling his thoughts. This was that Anna meant when she said she needed Kratos to guide him. With Zaichar's influence, there was little she could do to aide Lloyd from within the exsphere. Kratos, his father, was the only one who could save him.

"Come on, Colette! I said I was sorry!" Lloyd shouted, trying to get the girl to forgive him.

"Lloyd, just leave me alone!" Colette finally exclaimed, flying into the air past Kratos.

Placing a hand on his sons' shoulder, Kratos shook his head. "Now is not the time. Try and focus on what we've been appointed to do. Give her time and perhaps later, you can resolve your…indiscretions."

Lloyd sighed discouraged and his shoulders slumped in submission. "All right…" He really didn't like the idea of being at odds with his best friend, but Kratos was right. The sooner they resolved this conflict in Asgard, the sooner he and Colette could go back to the way they were before.

Presea carefully maneuvered through the mountain ranges surrounding Triet Desert, seeing it as unnecessary to fly too high in order to avoid them. The air was thinner higher up and with the decreasing humidity and higher temperatures, the warrior girl feared for the two others in her group. Even before she joined Lloyd's group in order to save Colette and exact her revenge on Varley and Rodyle, she knew that those who fought up close as warriors in battle differed from those who stood back and attacked with magic. Warriors tended to have more strength and defense - bred from experience, whereas spellcasters had strong spells, but minimal attack and defense strength when it came to close quarter combat. Therefore during their mission, Presea was going to have to be the fighter of the group.

That wasn't the only thing bothering her at the moment. With two half elves, should they encounter any humans, they could be met with…less than open arms. "Genis." She called to the boy behind her. When she didn't receive a reply, she took a peek around and saw the young mage's cheek sitting relaxed against her back, eyes closed in peaceful slumber. _Perhaps we should not have stayed up so late talking…_

_Night Before…_

_Presea approached Genis as he aimed fireballs harmlessly against the frozen lake. He didn't say anything as he raised his kendama and released three blasts at a time, striking the same thinning layer of ice. "Genis?"_

_ Half-turning to look at her, Genis ceased his bombardment. "Oh, it's you." He said coolly, indifferently. _

_ Frowning, Presea joined him by his side. "Is everything alright?"_

_ "…" Snapping his arm forward, the mage attacked the lake again, but had yet to answer. _

_Thinking it better to change the subject, Presea said, "I had…fun this morning, making that cake with you." She felt her cheeks heat up and wondered if she'd caught a winter cold. But…wasn't the cruxis crystal acting as an inhibitor for stuff like that?_

_"Yeah, sure…" Genis replied. Both stayed silent for a moment before he said, "I did a lot of thinking about what you said, you know back at the orphanage." Turning to her, Presea noticed his eyes looked puffy and exhausted. Despite how much sleep he seemed to be getting lately, he looked like he hadn't slept in days. "I…don't know what to feel anymore. Part of me feels angry and spiteful all the time, but I know that's not me."_

_"Everyone has darkness in their hearts - some more than others - but there cannot be light without shadow. It is not something to be afraid of." Presea replied._

_"I'm not afraid!" Genis cried out. Eyes widening, Presea looked away sadly. Shoulder lowering Genis sighed, "I feel…trapped." He admitted, turning back towards Lake Umacy. "Pulled in both directions - the light…and the dark. I've had this dream for the last few days now. Raine and I fall into the lake right there." He pointed to the spot he had been attacking and was now nothing more than a hole leading into the watery realm below. "I don't have my weapon with me and when I try to swim back up, the ice freezes and traps me underneath." Gritting his teeth, Genis clenches his fists in shame. "I punch at the ice, trying to get out and when I look down, I see Raine reaching out to me. I…I turn away from her and keep trying to break the ice. I don't even try to swim down and save her!" He cried out. "Then slowly I feel the cold creep deep within me and I freeze up. First it's my arms, then my legs, I even start to feel my heart slow down…"_

_"Self preservation is the most basic of instincts. You have nothing to be ashamed of."_

_"Not for me!" He countered. "Not for me…my sister is all that I have. If anything happened to her…"_

_"You are a good person, Genis. Don't ever believe otherwise." Presea tried to comfort. She didn't know if she ever dreamed or not and if she did, she didn't remember them. Maybe it was one of those things that made her less human._

Now as Genis slumped relaxed against her, she was comforted by the idea that her friend would be relaxed enough with her to sleep where otherwise he would be unable.

Raine joined her side and saw her little brother fast asleep. Looking to the axe-girl, the scholar decided to mention something that had been bothering her. "When we get to Triet, we may have to prepare for the worst." She cautioned.

Presea nodded. "I agree, but we have a mission of peace to fulfill." The cause sounded definitive, but not everyone would see it that way. "It's as simple as that. We cannot be deterred."

"But they'll try." Raine said with a shake of her head. As she glanced at Genis, his original innocence visible in his calm expression, she couldn't help but fear for him. "Segregation against our kind has always been hard on him. I do hope Triet has not become…too hostile."

Presea nodded quietly, not wanting their conversation to awaken the boy behind her. But unknown to both girls, Genis was anything but asleep. As time passed, more of his sole became lost in the darkness beneath the ice and what remained was devoid of fear and caring. _Let them try and stop us._ Genis thought with an evil smirk neither companion riding with him noticed. _We won't be pushed around anymore. If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get._

Sybak 

Zelos' group arrived at Sybak rather quickly, having only a short flight from Lake Umacy. With Regal's standing, they easily got a small garage to store the two rheairds during their _diplomatic_ stay.

Sheena had to admit, everything was going rather smoothly, having yet to face any negative opposition, but then again they had just gotten there. "Well, where to first?" She asked relaxed, placing one hand on her hip. Carbuncle stopped by her feet and sniffed the air trying to pick up any strange scents that might harm her mistress.

"Well, I wouldn't advise that we split up." Regal replied. "The situation is far too delicate – we're going to need to deal with this carefully, adopting each of our skills to solving whatever problems have arisen."

Zelos nodded, but said nothing. For the entire trip here up until now, Shinji had been trying to convince him to speak with Sheena and finish what he started on the Isle of Decision. It was annoying that spirit even knew about that since it was before the connection, but Zelos – he could get over that. What he couldn't get over was the constant nagging voice in his head. _Would you just let it rest? I'm not telling her! And even if I did, it wouldn't be here!_ The swordsman countered in his mind. This way he didn't look like some insane guy talking and arguing with himself.

_So you admit, you were going to tell her back then._ The spirit replied. It was odd. Because even though Zelos had only seen his form for a little while in his dream, he could almost hear the boy's smile within his words.

Growling, Zelos grit his teeth to keep from shouting verbally. _When and where I do it is none of your business! It's up to me, okay?_

_Then might I make a suggestion?_

Sighing in defeat, Zelos replied. _Fine. Go ahead._

"Shall I acquire us three rooms at the inn?" Regal asked Sheena.

The ninja shook her head. "Nah, don't worry about it." Motioning to Zelos with a tilt of her head, she grinned. "He's harmless. Besides, it'll save us money."

Raising an eyebrow, Regal commented, "When was money ever an issue?" In truth, the president had quite a lot saved up from running the Lezareno Company so long and could live comfortably for many years to come.

"You forgot about Zelos' appetite." Sheena teased.

"Ah." Regal completely understood. Seeing someone approach from behind Sheena, the seasoned politician straightened his back. "Here comes more problems."

Finished with his conversation with Shinji – which Zelos had to admit wasn't too bad of an idea – he turned to see the representative of Sybak from the World Council approaching their group with haste. A wide grin crossed his lips as he opened his arms in mock greeting. "Well, if it isn't my favorite person!"

Red in the face from contained anger, the representative from Sybak, Vicky, seemed ready to explode from emotion as she stomped her way over to Zelos. With fists balled up as tightly as they could, Vicky stopped in front of the cocky warrior and hissed through clenched teeth, "What are you doing here? We didn't send for help!"

"No, you didn't. That would've been the smart thing to do." Zelos crossed his arms in smugness.

While Sheena grabbed Zelos by the ear and dragged him away from Vicky, Regal cleared his throat and stepped up. "We came here on our own to see if we might be of some assistance."

Turning her gaze to the slightly taller man, Vicky shook her head. "Absolutely not. We can handle everything on our own just fine. Now leave."

"Until the Arbiter tells us otherwise, we can remain here as long as we like." Regal countered. "You do not hold the authority to dictate our exile."

Cursing under her breath, the ambassador looked to the side. "Very well, but I warn you. Do NOT interfere with our investigations. And we are not responsible for your safety."

"Gosh, such hospitality." Zelos rolled his eyes with sarcasm.

Sheena gasped and smacked him upside the head while Carbuncle ran up his back to his shoulders and hit him with her tail from the other side.

"Understood." Regal consented with a warning glare of his own. Looking back to the female politician, he thought to ask, "What exactly has been going on here?"

"We don't really know." Vicky admitted with exhausted frustration. "The attacks usually come at night, groups of people causing mostly collateral damage."

"And who is behind it? Has anyone gotten a good look?" The president asked.

Vicky shrugged. "Some say their half-elves punishing us because of our research, but they come hooded so we can't see their faces. What is true is that they use magic. Whatever you find out, don't give the terrorist group reason to attack again. Over time they've grown bolder and more dangerous. I don't want outsiders causing more problems." She eyed Zelos – who glared back – then turned and disappeared within the main library.

Asgard 

Kratos, Lloyd, and Colette made it to Asgard without incident, but it was soon obvious that something was up. There weren't any tourists lined up outside the caves that used to draw so much attention. Instead, the city hidden within the cliffs was a ghost town, seemingly devoid of any life. Lloyd recalled his wings and kept his hands near the hilts of his dual swords. His heart raced, but it wasn't because of the flight over. Something was telling him to be wary. Colette scanned over the stores and houses carved right out of the rock side. A light wind turned the windmills and weaved through flags mounted on top of the swellings. Her heart sank at the scene and she instantly felt worried about her friends: Harley, Linar, and Asha. "What's wrong here?"

Kratos also kept his hands close to his sword and looked across the terrain through narrowed eyes. _This smells like an ambush…_ He thought suspiciously. But when Linar and Harley came out cautiously and carefully – despite their demeanor – Kratos' shoulders relaxed a bit.

"Linar!" Colette exclaimed in relief. "Harley, you're all right!" She rushed forward and gave the female half elf a hug.

Harley returned the hug while Linar turned to the two others in the group. "Though we're happy to see you, you're putting yourself in danger by coming here. You'll be seen as sympathists."

"By whom?" Lloyd asked.

"By the humans." The male half elf replied simply.

"You should come inside where it's safe." Harley rushed, pulling Colette along. "It's almost sunset."

"What happens at sunset?" Kratos asked, following the group inside Asgard borders.

Linar looked sideways at the angel. "We'll explain everything inside."

Triet Border 

Presea, Genis and Raine landed on the outskirts of Triet and approached the town slowly. Presea and Raine came unarmed, though Presea still had her weapon latched onto her backside, while Genis held his kendama out in the open. _I won't back down this time. _As soon as they were within sights of the entrance, they immediately saw two guards standing in front. "The Renegades?" Raine questioned, recognizing the uniforms.

Presea walked up and addressed the two. "Did Yuan send you?"

"No way." One replied. "We used to think he was a great leader, but after he went berserk against that Zaichar guy, we lost all respect for him."

"A few of us decided to leave the Renegades and become hired help." The other informed. "Triet's paying us good to keep people like _you_ out." He raised his pike and pointed it at Raine and Genis. "This is a _human_ settlement. They don't want you here." The comment was shocking because so few of the Renegades were actually human. Because of Yuan's cause, most of the soldiers he'd recruited were half-elves themselves.

Growling, Genis blasted a fireball at the man's hands causing the guard to cry out and drop his weapon. "We _won't_ take 'no' for an answer." He replied in a low, menacing voice.

Raine was without words, unable to believe this was her Genis! Presea unhooked her axe and rushed to his side in case they retaliated. "We do not wish to cause trouble." She stated. "But we have business here and will not recede until we are finished."

"So get out of our way!" Genis demanded.

The guard who had the pike was clutching his injured hands against him and glared at the defiant halfling. The other stepped out of the way in a huff and gestured for his partner to do the same. Though Presea did not agree with his methods, Genis did succeed in getting them into the city and the man would heal within the week. Looking sideways she could see Raine was disturbed and upset. The three of them would have to sit down and have a nice, long chat.

Sybak 

Zelos stayed with Regal while he acquired them the two rooms, crossing his arms in growing discontent.

_You're upset because you know I'm right._ Shinji spoke from within Zelos.

_But here? We're supposed to be trying to stop the fighting and disputes. I can't make this into a secret honeymoon of mine. That's low, even for me._

_ Who said anything about a honeymoon? I merely think you should act like a man and tell her how you feel._

Zelos gawked at the accusation, drawing attention to himself as Regal finished the arrangements. "Are you okay?" The politician asked.

"Huh? Yeah. Hey, where'd Sheena and Carbuncle run off to?"

Looking around, Regal shrugged. "I'm not sure." He admitted with a frown.

Suddenly feeling confident and determined, Zelos nodded. "All right. Regal I'm gonna need your help with this one."

Regal smirked and let out a short laugh. "It's about time."

Zelos froze in disbelief and shock. "Huh?"

"As soon as they come back, I'll take Carbuncle up to the room and keep her busy." Regal said walking away as Sheena and the spoken guardian came into the inn. "Carbuncle, would you be so kind as to come with me to…inspect the two rooms. I'd imagine our presence here might stir up some _unwanted_ attention."

"Oh, okay." The fluffy mouse replied. Looking up at Sheena, Carbuncle tilted her head. "Is that okay?"

"Sure, go ahead." The ninja replied easily, not noticing a thing.

Zelos was open-mouthed as he was instantly left alone with the girl. _And he made it sound so believable._

_ Well, it is true. There could be any number of hidden traps up there._ Shinji replied.

Zelos sweatdropped. _Thanks for letting me know NOW!_ He shouted at the guardian mentally.

Sheena looked over at Zelos and caught him gazing at her, so she quickly stared at the floor. Cheeks heating up, Sheena hoped Regal and Carbuncle returned quickly. Being alone with Zelos was getting harder and harder to do these days.

Taking a deep breath, the warrior gathered up his courage and smoothly turned to the ninja at his side. "Do you wanna go for a walk?"

Sheena gulped and finally met his gaze. "A walk? Um...sure."

Seeing her obvious nervousness, which up until now had completely eluded him, Zelos' shoulders relaxed and he smiled fondly at her adorable features. His own nervousness was overshadowed by his affection for her and his actions no longer stemmed from a forced act or rehearsal. He wanted nothing more than to be with her and provide happiness for the rest of their days. "Come on." He soothed. "I've got somewhere special in mind."

Sheena nodded and followed him back towards Sybak's entrance. Her mind searched for the reason for his sudden change in behavior of causing mischief in Sybak to spending time with her. _What are you up to Zelos?_

_Asgard_

Lloyd frowned as his friends explained to him the situation. It seemed a group of humans were terrorizing the half-elves that had taken refuge within Asgard. Asha lay wounded – yet healing – in a bed in another room. During an attack the previous night, raiders had tried to take Harley hostage and when Asha stepped in to save her, she was nearly trampled to death by the man's horse. Now Harley and Linar had nowhere to go and refused to leave the others still in hiding within other houses. "You're prisoners in your own homes." Lloyd commented sadly.

"Just about. Thankfully Linar found an underground passage out the back of the city and brought back water and food for everyone." Harley replied.

"Unfortunately before I could tell everyone and get them out, the jerks found out about it and blew up the exit. I don't think our supplies will last longer than a week." Linar explained in growing despair.

Kratos sat solemnly thinking. "Do you believe they will attack again tonight?"

Harley nodded. "They will continue to attack as long as we remain here. They wish to drive us out."

"But that's not fair!" Colette protested. "This is as much your home as it is theirs!"

"I'm sure they don't see it that way." Lloyd replied darkly. "Well, we're here now. So let's try and relax a bit and if they do decide to attack tonight…we'll be ready." The youth addressed everyone as he fingered his fiery blade.

Kratos noticed the action, but said nothing. When the time for battle came, he would remain by his son's side and keep him from falling into darkness. He knew Anna would be attempting to do the same.

Colette came softly into the room where Asha lay sleeping. She had yet to wake up from her ordeal, but she was breathing so everyone was hopeful she would make a speedy recovery. The angel-girl sat down on the stool next to the bed and sighed sadly. With the way Lloyd had been acting, Colette was afraid not only for herself but for her best friend. Gently she took Asha's hands in hers and sighed. "I don't know what to do or what to feel Asha. I wish you were awake to help me."

_I know I said I would be there for him, but what he's becoming is so…scary. It's not like the Lloyd I know at all._ Colette thought to herself. _Back at Lake Umacy he was so cold and cruel, yet I was foolish to think a little trinket would make him feel better when Zaichar has already caused everyone so much pain and grief. _

Colette sat up and pulled her half of the pendant out of her pocket. "Then again, maybe we aren't meant to be together after all."

When Lloyd said to relax a bit, he obviously didn't mean for _him_ to relax, because the entire time he stood watch, looking out the window, waiting for the enemy to appear. Kratos sat quietly, as he always did, arms crossed as he looked over his son but said nothing. Anxiety was probably behind it, which was understandable. They didn't know how many they were going to have to deal with, if any at all. And on top of that, there were other lives at stake if they failed, other members of the village who would be targeted.

Since his back was to Kratos, Lloyd knew his father wouldn't be able to see what he was really doing. Inside his cupped hand was the moon pendant that Colette had given to him earlier. He had been hard on her, but now was not the time to pretend they were back at Iselia. Every second they wasted, Zaichar's plan advance further and the New World would crumble under his iron rule. Thinking back there was so much he didn't realize when he left to catch up with Colette and her journey of regeneration.

This wasn't some picnic or an adventure…it was a trial. One Destiny had laid out for him ages ago and one he would ultimately have to face alone. Having a little moon pendant wasn't going to keep Colette by his side where he needed her no matter how hard he wished for it. And being by his side was a dangerous place to begin with, so part of Lloyd was happy he pushed her away, though he doubted she would be a good girl and go back to Iselia where she belonged. The battlefield was not somewhere a pure hearted soul like hers should be. Tonight people would die and it wouldn't be angelic dolls or even desians, this time it was going to be their own kind – humans – and the blood spilt would be on Lloyd's hands alone.

Lloyd turned to the sky as rain began to fall…perhaps Martel grieving over the war of her children? A light could be seen arcing in the distance towards them and Lloyd jolted as a fire-lit arrow landed on the doorframe of the house, no sooner landing than sprinkles of water rendering it useless. "They're here!" He snapped, already reaching for his swords with two hands.

Kratos stood up quickly. "Are you sure this is wise?" He cautioned.

"We don't really have a choice, do we?" Lloyd countered annoyed, his heart racing for battle.

"I'm coming too!" Colette came into the room with Harley and Linar, her chakrams out and ready.

"No you're not." Lloyd corrected her.

Getting mad, Colette stomped forward. "That's not for you to decide!"

Growling, Lloyd turned to face her. "You'll only get in the way!"

"She won't be any safer here than she will be out there, Lloyd." Kratos spoke up. "They will be targeting the people of this village and depending on how many are out there, they may get past our defenses."

Lloyd knew this, but turned away angry anyway.

Turning to the half-elves, Kratos unsheathed his own Ether Sword. It wasn't a very strong weapon, but it was equally balanced and its length was more effective against humans. "Stay here and get whatever you can to defend yourselves if any come in here. Tell the others to do the same and stay indoors."

Harley nodded while Linar remained silent, worried for his friends.

Lloyd rolled his eyes and took off into the raining night, Kratos and Colette right behind him. As they passed other people worriedly sticking their heads out of their homes, Kratos instructed them to remain indoors and prepare to defend their homes by any means necessary. They found the group of perpetrators standing just inside the entrance of Asgard. They were mere villagers, some Lloyd recognized from their first visit to Asgard, armed with sticks and pitchforks.

"Out of our way humans. We've got no business with you." The leader said, armed with a staff of his own.

"Nice, but we're not going anywhere. Oh, and we're not human either." Lloyd called out his wings, as did Kratos and Colette – having earlier decided perhaps their standing might avoid senseless bloodshed. It was actually Colette's idea. She had been reminded of it from back when Zelos had used her standing as a Chosen to scare the Papal Knights.

The ploy worked and many of the villagers took an uneasy step backwards. The leader growled and shouted, "How can you fight for _their_ kind? We're only trying to reclaim what is rightfully ours! They got no place here!"

Colette stepped forward and shook her head. "They have the _right_ to live here as much as any of you! And we're not going to let you harm these innocent people!"

"Let me tell you one thing, missy." The leader pointed with his staff at the angel-girl. "There was a time where humans reigned on this earth. It wasn't until the elves supposedly left Derris-Kharlan that mistakes like half-elves were born! There was a golden age back then, where we didn't have to worry about the traitorous acts of our neighbor, if our children were being bewitched by their magicks. That is a time we humans will fight for again!"

"But those transgressions are hardly the fault of the people that dwell within." Kratos tried to explain. "They have done nothing wrong."

"_Yet._ How long do we give them until they do? It cannot be helped. It's in their blood."

"Then I guess stupidity runs in your family." Lloyd countered at the older man.

"Lloyd!" Kratos berated.

"Look Dad, they aren't going to listen to your words or your logic. They're hell bent on this being their last day!" He said the last part mostly to the villagers in front of them.

"But aggravating them more won't help either!" Colette exclaimed from the older angel's side.

"If you're not with us, you're against us and we'll treat you no differently than we do them! Attack!"

"It's your funeral!" Lloyd shouted, jumping into the air and flying towards the group.

"Lloyd no!" Kratos followed his son in the air, trying to stop him from making a horrible mistake. With swords raised, the half-angel boy aimed right for the leader and struck.


	18. Endless Abyss

Endless Abyss

"Dwarven Vow #23: A blind person who sees is better than a

seeing person who is blind."

_Triet_

Genis sat quietly in his room brooding with hatred over the attitude of the guards. _It's just like humans to turn tail and run when the going gets tough._ Genis admired Yuan for what he'd heard the half-elf-turned-angel did back at the Renegade base. There wasn't anything wrong with wanting to exact revenge for the death of a loved one. In fact, Genis would probably follow a leader who showed guts like that versus one who did nothing but talk. "Like Lloyd." Genis scoffed.

The three of them had bought two rooms for the night, though Genis was sure it wasn't 300 gald each last time they were there, but Raine said it was fine and paid the amount. There was a knock at the door and Presea's voice could be heard muffled from the other side. "Genis, may I come in?"

"Huh? Sure." He frowned as she walked in. "What do you want?"

Presea closed the door behind her and took a seat on the bed opposite of him. "I am not sure your actions today at the front gate were entirely…necessary." She picked her words carefully.

Rolling his eyes, Genis countered. "And what? End up going back to Kratos and Yuan to tell them we couldn't even get into the city? I won't go back as a failure."

"Our mission here was to find out the problem with Triet and solve it. Not cause more trouble." The axe-wielding girl explained.

Standing up angrily, Genis clenched a fist. "So what, I'm nothing but more _trouble_ to you now?"

Presea stood up as well, though she still look slightly up at the half-elf mage. "Not to me, Genis. But to the other humans, yes." Raine had wanted to come in herself, but Presea said she would try first and see if she could get behind Genis' recent behavior. She knew his hatred for humans who despised half-elves was strong, but he was never one to act on that hatred. "They will not trust us if we continue to harm them and we will not solve anything while we're here."

"They don't trust us anyways!" Genis shouted. "They never will as long as you have half-elves with you! This was a stupid idea and one that's never gonna work!"

When Genis stomped passed her towards the door, Presea grabbed a hold of his wrist. "Do not leave her now, Genis. Raine is worried for you, we both have been and for a long time. You leave now and your emotions will grow out of control."

Glaring at her, Genis yanked his wrist free and scoffed. "I…am always in control." He turned his back to her and left the inn behind. He needed time to think and as long as his sister and Presea were around, it would be impossible. "They don't know what they're talking about." He muttered under his breath as he sprinted into the night of the desert.

_Ocean Beach Just Outside of Sybak_

Sheena stepped to the edge of the three-foot overhang where the grass ended and below was the sand deposited by the ocean waters. There was a full moon that shined brightly over the waters, which now only appeared as black as the sky. A wind blew and it made Sheena shiver, so she wrapped her arms around herself.

From behind her, Zelos came and draped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Better?" Sheena blushed profusely and barely had the capacity to nod. "Good." Resting his chin on the top of her head, Zelos smiled and inhaled her unique scent that rose from her hair. "There was something I came here to say, something that I started to tell you back at the Isle of Decision, but haven't had a chance to finish."

Sheena's eyes widened, but she wouldn't dared to hope.

Sighing as he closed his eyes, Zelos thought back to when he'd held Sheena in his arms just like this and spoke truthfully from his heart. "You know when we were growing up, we were always so competitive with each other. I never thought a girl would be able to measure up to me, but you even surpassed me in some cases – like summoning. We've saved each other's lives more times than I can count and I got to thinkin': it's got to mean something. And it does. Sheena, I care about you more than anyone else and even when Zaichar's toast, I don't want you to go back to Mizuho alone."

Sheena's heart was pounding in her ears and she turned around in Zelos' embrace, looking up into his intense gaze with a loving expression of her own. "Zelos, I…care about you too…" Something flashed behind the red flaring locks of her warrior and Sheena's survival instincts went off the charts. "Zelos, move!" Pushing him hard out of the way, whatever the projectile was landed just in front of Sheena – where Zelos had been standing – and exploded, blowing chunks of rock and dirt everywhere.

"Sheena!" Zelos rolled back to his feet and unsheathed his sword in one swift motion, seeing the object of his affection go flying five feet back. _It's him!_ Shinji alerted Zelos.

Growing, Zelos turned towards the direction the projectile had come from and raised Shinji's sword. "Light!" The golden exsphere on the sword's hilt grew brightly and filled the area with an ether like glow. "Show yourself!"

Golden eyes narrowed and reflected the same ether glow off his pike as his orbs. "Such a touching moment. So sorry I had to ruin it for you."

Sheena moaned and slowly came to, getting to her feet in an attempt to prepare for battle.

"Sheena!" Zelos called out from his side of what would become the battlefield.

"I'm…I'm alright." She assured, shaking her head. Digging into her pockets she pulled out her cards, but cursed when she remembered Carbuncle was back at the city with Regal. Looking up, she saw the angel Colette and Kratos had described as being in league with Zaichar. "Are you the one who's been behind these attacks?"

"Very good, ninja. All the cities will fall before My Lord, but this pathetic town will be one of the first." Saitou chuckled, his black wings barely visible in the night sky.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Zelos' orange wings appeared behind him as he took into the air after Saitou. The dark angel dodged the first strike and spun around to clash his weapon with Zelos'.

Sheena rushed forward on the ground and raised up one of her cards, "What's the matter? Afraid?"

Inside the city, screams and outcries alerted Carbuncle and Regal to trouble outside the inn and as they busted out into the street, they saw angels with black wings terrorizing the citizens of Sybak. Vicky, who had been standing in front of the library, even at this hour, came rushing forward towards Regal. "This is all your fault!" She blamed. "I knew allowing you to remain here was not in Sybak's best interests!"

Ignoring her obvious anger, Regal narrowed his eyes. "Then are you denying our help?"

Vicky growled. "Of course not! If you can get rid of them, by all means!"

Regal nodded and looked down at Carbuncle. "Well?"

Carbuncle was worried for her mistress, but if Zelos was with her, she could trust the warrior to keep Sheena safe. "Without Sheena here, as her friend I will protect you during the battle as well."

Regal smiled. "I am grateful." Looking back towards the city, Regal rushed in and caught the first angel by surprised as he grabbed the dark angel's wing and slammed them down into the ground.

The angel was in shock and while it was down on the ground, Carbuncle jumped up and fired two small red beams at the angel's wings, making it so the creature couldn't fly. Growling, the angel pushed up to its feet and while armed with a staff, prepared to do battle with Regal.

Regal would not give it the chance, though, and with three successive strikes, easily broke the weapon in half with the first strike, landing a second hit to the angel's ribs, and knocking the angel back down to the ground unconscious with a third hit to the temple.

"One down, but we've got a whole lot more to go!" Carbuncle hurried off to the next target, following by Regal. If they were going to have any chance of saving Sybak, they were going to have to dispatch of Zaichar's forces quickly.

_Asgard - Nightfall_

Narrowing his eyes, Lloyd felt almost elated as each villager came at him haphazardly, only to meet a quick death at the end of one of his material blades. Always having to avoid senseless fighting, communicating the end of discrimination became harder and harder over time. Now when their words fell upon deaf ears, the angel boy finally took action and struck down all those who worked against their cause. Pacifism was a nice dream, but with those around you constantly destroying the balance created, the only way to get through to them was to kill a few along the way. Lloyd understood that now and if any villagers survived the night, they would too. _And if they don't, too bad._ He smirked in thought.

Another villager, who'd seen his leader go down first at the hands of the youth, let out a war cry and came charging in with a club like piece of wood raised over his head. Lloyd almost felt pity for the obvious lack of skill this man had and could almost count the number of ways he could die by either one of the angel-boy's two swords. _But he shows guts coming up to me and announcing his arrival. I'll make **his** death quick and painless...for the most part._

_ Lloyd, stop this now before you do something you'll regret!_ Origin tried to call attention to the summoner, but his voice had long been drowned out by the darkness and the boy would not be able to hear him.

Colette batted away a sharp pike aimed at her throat and spun around to ram her elbow into the child's stomach, knocking him out. Gasping, she looked down and saw the boy couldn't be a few years older than Genis and because of the hatred brewing down from his parents towards the half-elves, he too was pulled into a battle that might've taken his life. _Nothing should be worth the cost of your child's life._ The former Chosen thought sadly. Looking across the battlefield, Colette could see Lloyd preparing to dispatch of a villager coming his way loud and arms ready to swing. "Lloyd! No! Don't!"

Kratos was holding another villager back, seeing multiple ways to knock him out and upon hearing Colette's exclamation, went for the hilt to the stomach and a quick chop to the back of the neck before he turned his gaze to searching for his son.

Lloyd wasn't too far away and the angel quickly determined what was going on from the angle of his son's stance and the burly man barreling through his kinsman towards the swordsman. "Lloyd!" Kratos shouted, though he knew his words were lost in the shouting and chaos around him. Gritting his teeth, he pushed through two more villagers – now unarmed because of their previous encounter with the angel – and quickly stood in between his son and the incoming man.

Growling in annoyance, Lloyd broke his gaze from his enemy and looked up at the back of his father. "What do you think you're doing? This is _my_ fight!"

The angel quickly batted aside the man's sloppy swing and ran his knee up into the man's chest, knocking the wind out of him. Half turning to face Lloyd, Kratos was beyond upset, but took a deep breath and closed his eyes in disappointment. "A fight, yes, one that could've been avoided had you not been so rash."

The man struggled to his feet and instantly jumped back from the overbearing Kratos. "L-let's get out of here! We'll try again when these guys aren't around!" He picked up another of his unconscious partners and followed the masses back towards camp.

Another villager picked up the boy unconscious at Colette's feet and glared at her as he also ran away. "Yeah! You can't protect the halflings forever, angels!"

Colette shied back a bit and looked sadly over at Kratos. "What are you going to do, Kratos? They're right."

"Yeah _now_!" Lloyd sheathed his swords and crossed his arms, still glaring at his father. "If you had let me finish this now, there wouldn't be _anyone_ to come back and threaten the half-elves!"

"The cycle of hate will continue," Kratos replied coldly as he too placed his sword away. "What you have done tonight has transformed their hate into a thirst for revenge and Linar and Harley will be the ones to suffer."

Lloyd scoffed and turned around to walk back towards the city. "If more come...then more will fall by my sword. I will be the one to end the cycle. Just you watch, _Father_."

Sighing, Kratos looked down towards the ground and wished from the stars above that Anna were here to guide him in the raising of their son. It wasn't like his underlings that he could just punish or threaten to deter from future acts of insubordination. This was his son and the force taking root within his heart would destroy him if he didn't succeed in getting through to the real Lloyd.

Colette walked up to Kratos' side and understood his pain. "Will he be...okay, Kratos?"

Kratos opened his eyes and looked over at the girl he'd once sworn to protect. "I don't know. I really don't know." He admitted in shame. _How can I help him, Anna? The path to his heart is closed off to me. How can it be that only I can save him?_

_Triet Desert, Just Outside of the City_

Raine wrapped her arms around herself and looked back and forth for any evidence Genis had come this way. She'd overheard Presea's conversation from her room next door and worried greatly for her little brother. She couldn't just stand aside and let the lumberjack girl take responsibility. From the moment they were abandoned at the Otherworldly Gate and during the entire time Raine had searched for those same ruins, it was she who'd raised and taken care of Genis. She would not stop now just because things got tough. This wasn't the way her Genis would want to be. He was gentle and kind and loving to everyone – even those who initially despised them. She wanted _that_ Genis back, her little brother laughing and smiling again.

She could sense his mana signature a little ahead and to the right, so she started walking in that direction. Nights in the desert were cold and windy, so Raine squinted her eyes to keep the sand from blurring her vision. As she got closer to the feeling, she raised her head up and called out, "Genis! Are you out here?" At first, nothing answered back but the howling winds from the nearby mountains the healer hadn't noticed were there until she was right next to them. "I want to talk with you!" She continued, knowing he could probably hear her.

"And just what about?" Genis replied, coming into her vision from behind one of the boulders. He had his arms crossed with his back to the stone, but the smirk on his face was what startled Raine most. She jolted and the wind picked up, making her throw up her arm to shield her face. "Are you planning to tell me you're _worried_ about me?" He asked in a mocking tone.

"Well, yes." Raine replied loudly in an attempt to be heard over the winds. "You're my brother!"

Scoffing, Genis pushed off the boulder and began to approach her. "That didn't seem to matter when you decided to live with humans in that goddess forsaken village _you_ called home."

"_We_ called it home for nearly five years!" She replied in disbelief at his behavior. "What's come over you? You were never like this!"

"Did you ever ask me what _I_ wanted, dear sister? Did you really think I wanted to lie for all those years, pretend I was something I wasn't just so you could live your dream? Had they known what we _really_ were, we wouldn't have lasted more than five minutes!" Genis countered. "I would've wanted to live with the stronger the races flowing through our blood. _I_ would've wanted to live with the elves in Heimdall! You knew where it was! Or at least a village with other half elves so we stood a chance against the humans!"

"But...why didn't you ever say anything?" Raine wondered. "We had an open relationship. You couldn't been honest with me."

"Open relationship? You were my teacher for Martel's sake! I had to do what you said no matter what! It was always like that! You tried to be my mother before you ever tried to be my sister! Well, I'm not going to be pushed around anymore! Not by you and not by any lowly humans!" He brought out his kendama and glared at his sister. "I control my own life!"

Raine instinctively brought out her staff and jumped back. "Genis! Look at yourself! Look at what you're doing!"

"I don't have to anymore..." Genis cackled. "If I fight to create the future I want, I never have to look back again!" He raised his kendama and fired two fireballs towards Raine.

Gasping, she twirled her staff and shouted, "Force field!" The fireballs disappeared into the green energy, but in Raine's eyes the hurt would never disappear. _Who are you, Genis? What have you become?_

_Sybak_

Sheena watched helplessly from the ground as Zelos attacked the black-winged angel again and again high in the sky, the anger in his face contorting it more as time progressed. Sheena was now not only paying attention to Saitou to wait for an opportunity when she could lend a hand, but she was also watching Zelos with worry in her ruby orbs. Each strike that caused sparks to fly between the sword and golden pike grew in intensity. Saitou seemed to just enjoy the challenge, while Zelos was attempting to free the angel's head from his shoulders.

"Zelos!" Sheena cried out in worry. She could barely make out the battle between the flashes of lightning, thunder, and downpour of rain, but she wouldn't tear her eyes away out of fear for her warrior.

Zelos struck again, but this time met nothing but cold air. Saitou flew back and smirked, feeling the rush of battle shaking his muscles from within. "You surprise me, Chosen."

"I'm not the Chosen anymore." Zelos narrowed his eyes at the cocky angel general.

"Yes, you're tactics do hint at something along those lines. But I can't yet place my finger on it." Saitou raised a hand to his chin and smirked. "Thinking back I see a powerless wench of a Chosen failing to revive Martel and an unskilled warrior who thought he could make a difference. Let me know if I'm getting warmer…"

Growling, Zelos' eyes changed from sky blue to light brown and the grip on his sword tightened. "I will destroy you for taking her away from me!"

Sheena gasped when the voice that came out was anything but Zelos'. _What's going on here?_

"So Shinji, you found a way out of the dimensional drift. I am impressed."

"I will send you to hell for what you've done!" Zelos let out a battle cry and flew in towards Saitou with more ferocity than before. It was almost like he was loosing his control and going berserk.

The two clashed swords again and while both pushed forth with all their might, they seemed equally matched. Saitou leaned in with his face mere inches from Zelos' – now Shinji – and smirked, "I still remember her soft skin as I strapped her to the mana device. Mithos even caressed her face, wanting nothing but the soul of his dead sister reborn. Isn't that sweet? Too bad we had to dispose of the body when the experiment failed."

"You monster!" Breaking free of the lock they'd been in, Zelos whipped around and kicked Saitou first across the face, sending the angel reeling, then he came up with a punch to the head. Saitou went careening into the ground and landed hard.

Sheena didn't know how Shinji had taken hold of Zelos' body, but right now she had to be there for Zelos and that meant fighting by his side. "Demon Seal!" She called out, throwing six of her cards around Saitou's twitching form. A six-pointed purple star appeared underneath the angel and began to glow as the cards opened a one-way gate to hell.

Saitou grit his teeth and fought again the force pulling him down, raising one arm, then the other as he sat up and met eyes with Sheena. The former summoner gasped when his eyes glowed bright red and he really did look like a demon! Tilting his head, he asked in a maniacal voice, "You think _you_ can seal _me_?" Laughing, Saitou flew up out of the vortex and the spell instantly vanished. "I'll teach you not to toy with me, wench!"

"Sheena no!" Both Shinji's and Zelos' voice cried out.

Saitou threw his pike and at first Sheena prepared to block the weapon, but it landed harmlessly in front of her. Frowning, she wondered what had happened, but then silence met her ears - even the rainfall becoming quiet - and when she turned around, she saw the ocean had disappeared, leaving a sheer drop into a never-ending abyss below.

By the time she spun back around to face Saitou, the black angel was already zooming towards her and the next thing she knew, the wind was knocked out of her and she felt herself falling over the side of the cliff behind her.

"SHEENA!" Zelos flew past the laughing Saitou and dove down after his love.

The dark angel narrowed his eyes and pulling back his arm, threw his recovered pike straight at the transformed Chosen. The pike barely missed its mark, but ripped through Zelos' wings, causing them to melt away into mere shreds. But that didn't stop Zelos, keeping his eyes on Sheena's outstretched hand, the angel dove down into the darkness…

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Regal looked around for any more dark angels and sighed with relief when the coast was clear. Carbuncle hopped back to his side and shook the rain from her fur. "Man, with the way it's raining, you'd think Martel planned another Downfall and wants to drown us all!"

Letting out a short laugh, Regal ran a hand through his own hair to get the water soaked locks out of his eyes. "Now that things have settled down here, I suggest we begin looking for Zelos and Sheena. They may not know what just occurred."

Carbuncle stared straight ahead for a moment then gasped, "No, my mistress is in even worst danger! Come on! We gotta hurry!" She commanded, then rushed out of the city gates.

Asgard 

Pushing the door open, Lloyd shook the rainwater from his clothes, spraying it everywhere else on the floor, and began to walk back to his room. Harley and Linar rushed out to meet him, but gasped and skidded to a halt when they saw the front of his and pants covered in red. "Lloyd…that blood…" Harley breathed in worry.

"Don't worry," Lloyd slid past them and smirked when they couldn't see his face, "It's not mine."

Both were shocked by this and speechless and he disappeared into the hall upstairs.

Lloyd walked down the passageway and stopped a moment to peek in Asha's room. The young human was still unconscious and lay sleeping in her bed. A flash of pity appeared in his eyes, but he brushed it off and continued down the hall. Scoffing, he thought to himself, "Such feelings are what made me weak before. I can't afford to be that senseless kid anymore." He told himself.

As soon as he got into his room, he close the door behind him and began to strip out of his wet clothes. Dropping down into bed, he pulled up the covers and slipped guiltlessly into sleep.

When all was quiet and the rain outside let up a moment, a flash of lightning cast the shadow of a knelt figure sitting in the window. Not noticing it, Lloyd turned his back from the window and pulled the covers closer. The cloaked man quietly raised a hand and the lock on the inside of the window lifted without a sound.

Stepping into the room, the man neither appeared wet nor did his clothes. As he stepped on the hard wood floor, no wet footprints were left behind as evidence of his arrival. He stood over the sleeping form of Lloyd and chanted softly as his body glowed red. "I did not want it to come to this, but this may be the only way to save you, Lloyd." Lowering his hand, which also faintly glowed red, the man touched the youth's forehead and Lloyd instantly gritted in pain in his sleep. "Behold. The future Darkness would have you lead…"

The first thing to enter Lloyd's senses was the overall smell of death and decay drifting up from the very earth. The mana levels were dangerously low and the angel-boy was surprised the land had survived as long as it had. As he flew over the yellow forests and nearly dried up lakes, his eyes came upon what he thought was Meltokio Castle. No longer standing tall, the pristine white walls that once served to protect its citizens had been torn down and lay in ruins. The immaculate tile courtyards and walkways were chipped and crumbling, resembling more the slums district of the city than a house of royalty.

Just outside the city limits, Lloyd saw half-elves and humans alike, pulling large pieces of stone while their dark elven and black angel overseers whipped them for pleasure. From the air it looked like they were constructing a building of some sort.

_Where is this place?_ Lloyd wondered as he landed on one of the balconies of the castle. Walking inside, seven servants met him and instantly bowed at his approach. _You don't have to bow to me._ But the words didn't come out. Instantly afraid, Lloyd attempted to stop walking towards the throne chair at the end of the room, but found his body wouldn't listen. _What's going on?_

While he tried over and over to regain control, his eyes reviewed the six women lined up on either side of the red carpet leading to the throne, three on each side. They were trembling and fought to keep themselves from shaking. Lloyd wondered what could cause these women to fear him so much. Eyeing the last black hair girl, a little younger than him, he approached her and before Lloyd could stop himself, his hand rose up and grabbed the girl by her locks and yanked her up, pulling her into a rough kiss. The feeling revolted both Lloyd and the girl and when he threw her back down again, his insides twisted around. _What have I become? This isn't me!_ The girl lay unmoving on the cold floor, refusing to look up into her master's eyes.

Smirking, Lloyd looked down at the girl and said, "You're looks no longer appeal to me. Take her to the dungeon." _What? No! She hasn't done anything wrong!_ When two burly guards that Lloyd instantly recognized as former Papal Knights came to take her away, he caught sight of his reflection in the marble floor and gasped.

His eyes were sunken into his face and black bags under his eyes made him look like he hadn't slept in years. He wore thick black and red armor and a black cape draped down behind him. He still wore his two swords, but he saw on the back of his hand his exsphere was no longer blue, but it was as black as his armor. _My exsphere! Is that why I can't control myself?_

An elderly man holding a stack of papers approached Lloyd's side as soon as the girl was gone and bowed deeply. "My Lord, here are the first reports sent by Emperor Zaichar."

_Emperor Zaichar! No way! We...lost?_ Lloyd took the papers and walked over to his throne as the rest of the woman bowed deeply and left back to perform their duties. "Being the strongest of the four generals, it seems fitting that _I_ would receive the most land, don't you agree?" Lloyd asked.

"Of course, Lord Genis, Mistress Megami, and Lord Saitou would fall beneath your might." The man agreed. "Do you wish for me to tell you how construction is going?"

"Yes. Have they finished my wonderful shrine yet?" Lloyd asked. _My WHAT?_

"The foundation stones have been completed, but we are in need of more...volunteers."

Interlacing his fingers, Lloyd leaned back. "Hmm, capture Palmacosta next. They rebuilt fairly quickly after the fall of the former Tower of Salvation. They will make excellent additions to the work force."

"Unfortunately, Palmacosta is Lord Genis' territory." The advisor reported.

"I don't care!" Lloyd stood up angrily. "Do I need to repeat myself? If Genis has a problem with me, he can ask it from the end of my swords! Now, if we need more workers, you know where to get them!"

The advisor bowed lower for fear of befalling the same fate as the servant before. "Of course, My Lord." Turning, he quickly left to fulfill his duty.

Standing up in the now empty room, Lloyd tried to catch up to what was happening. _Emperor Zaichar...Lord Genis...territories? None of this makes sense!_ He berated himself. Suddenly, Lloyd smirked and raised a hand. "Origin! Come forth!" The King of the Summon Spirits materialized before his master, but no longer strong and defiant, his wrists and ankles were bound by thick chains that only Lloyd could see, and in his eyes held nothing but hatred for the duel wielding warlord. "Oh, don't look so happy to see me." Lloyd asked in a mocking tone.

Origin looked away and scoffed, crossing his arms out of habit. "You have your land, you have your power...why do you keep me around?" The summon spirit asked.

Walking around him, Lloyd clasped his hands behind him, the leather of the gloves squeaking in the silence of dusk. "Now now, dear Origin – my friend..."

"I am _not_ your friend. Whatever I thought I saw in you...I was far more wrong than I was with Mithos."

_No. Origin... _Ignoring his comment, Lloyd continued. "You know exactly why I keep you bound with me. First, our pact prevents you from harming me _or_ leaving me as long as I have breath in my lungs. And second, if I were to release you, the first thing you would do is go after Omega and after everything we've done to secure the infidels, I can't let you take all that away from me."

"Take it away from you?" Origin echoed. "What happened to the Lloyd who wanted to create a world in which everyone was equal? What happened to the idealistic youth that followed the Chosen on her journey in order to protect her? That Lloyd...was _my_ master."

_I'm still here Origin! Can't you hear me?_

Lloyd narrowed his eyes and turned his back from the summon spirit. "I would advice you remember your place, Origin, because you – like everyone below me – is not immune from my wrath."

"Is that so?" A silhouette asked from the still open balcony. _That voice! I know him!_

Spinning back around, Lloyd unsheathed both his swords and glared at the intruder. Origin instantly disappeared as per his master's silent request. "It's been a while since you've had the courage to face me, oh great hero."

Coming into the light of the room, Kratos Aurion prepared to face off with his son and held his sword out to the side. "The tyranny you have brought the people will end tonight – with your death if necessary. But you are still my son. Please let me know some of the old Lloyd still remains."

"Father. Still as foolish as ever I see. I am stronger than the Lloyd you found in the Temple of Martel. I have achieved everything I could ever want!" Lloyd countered. _Kratos! It's me! Your real son, Lloyd! I'm in here!_

"And yet somehow you find still other things you desire, except the freedom and equality of the people!" Kratos shouted back.

"I am better than they are!" Lloyd shook his head. "Our race deserves to rise above them and Emperor Zaichar was the one who opened my eyes to the truth!"

"So you will not recede?" Kratos asked one last time.

"Never! As my father, you should be happy for me! But it was never about me, was it?" The angel's son asked. "It was always about you playing the hero. You lied to our group way back when, so you could come out later and say it was all your plan to create the Eternal Ring. You hid the truth from me a second time when you left to Derris-Kharlan and never once thought to clue me in on anything! You never did trust me, did you?"

"I did what I did...to protect you!" Kratos tried to convince. "This world you've created, the life you lead...it's just Zaichar working through you! You are nothing but a mere puppet to him!"

"I am always in control and I'll never listen to you!" Jetting forward, Lloyd slashed horizontally at his father, but the angel jumped back out the window and flew with his wings high into the air above the castle. Not missing a beat, Lloyd's own wings appeared and he flew up even faster towards the man he once looked up to.

_Stop! I don't want to hurt Kratos! I don't want to hurt anybody!_ But Lloyd's body continued to slash at his father, while the former angel-mercenary could do nothing but defend. He'd come here to try and save his son, but even now could not find the strength to strike him down and ultimately save everyone. As Lloyd kept his eyes locked on the angel, he could see the despair and indecision floating in Kratos' eyes. _Dad...I'm so sorry! I never wanted to become like this!_

As the battle continued on, rain began to fall and Kratos' sweaty brow washed away with the droplets of water that filtered down through his still spiky locks. As they dashed back and forth, Lloyd continued to fight the force that was controlling his movements but found he could do nothing but watch.

With the aqua sword made by his adopted father, Lloyd disarmed Kratos and pulling back the Flamberge passed down by his biological father, the half-angel jammed it forward through Kratos' stomach and pulled the angel close so as to whisper in his ear. "Funny, don't you think, that the sword you gave me is now used to grant you the death you always wanted?"

Kratos' mouth dropped open and his eyes widened in shock, but only blood dribbled out the corner of his lips where once encouraging words reigned. _Kratos? Dad? NO!_ Lloyd's inner mind cried out.

Pulling the sword free, Kratos fell like a dead bird out of the sky, down towards the mud soaked earth. The sky would mourn his loss, as well as the goddess Martel herself...were she still around.

"Kratos! No!" A female voice rang out.

Down below, Colette came speeding through to catch the fallen angel before he could slam into the ground. As salty tears disappeared with the rain, she slowly lowered him to the ground and bent over his cold body. "You...shouldn't have come alone. I can't do this without you."

Lloyd landed a few yards away and smirked, crossing his arms as he enjoyed the show. Inside, his spirit wanted to cry, but no tears came. _Wh-what have I done?_

Colette shook with sobs and slowly placed Kratos' discarded sword across his chest. "When this is over, I will give you a proper burial Kratos. I promise."

"Why cry for him? Wasn't he supposed to protect you and yet in the end, he was the reason for you loosing your soul?" Lloyd once again mocked the suffering before his eyes.

Standing up, Colette unhooked her chakrams and looked up to glare at Lloyd. "What about your soul, Lloyd? Where has it gone?" She asked instead. "Did you feel anything when Raine was murdered? Did you feel anything when you own 'comrades' ended up being responsible for Zelos' death? And what about Genis? You were his best friend and yet instead of trying to save him from the darkness, you both gave into it and join the man you once fought to destroy!"

_Zelos? Raine? They're...dead? Colette! I never wanted to work for Zaichar! You gotta believe me!_ "What about you, Colette? Weren't we best friends? Where have you been all this time when you should've been here by my side?"

"When you creased caring about those around you...my love for you stopped as well." The angel-girl admitted.

_Colette...loved me? _Lloyd thought in shock. "How about you join me now? Join my harem and together we'll create the home we've always wanted."

"_You've_ always wanted. Not me." She shook her head. "I can't let you continue like this. As your friend, I have to free you from the darkness you've so clung to all these years." Crossing her arms, she began chanting and glowing pink, her aura bright against the dark of night – despite the shine of the full moon above. "Thy power floweth purely, ever unwavering. Accept my soul into thine embrace. Sacrifice!"

Caught off guard by the attack, Colette's body dissolved into nothing but energy and it flew at Lloyd before he could erect any kind of barrier. As the pink energy flew around him, he could hear her voice clearly and mournfully. "Kratos...didn't want me to do this, but I knew it was the only way to save _my_ Lloyd. Please, be free of Zaichar's powers! Lloyd!" As the light spun around the warlord faster and faster, a black silhouette tried to break free of its host and the boy doubled over in pain as his power was drained.

"No! No! I will not be beaten! Not by you!"" But as the darkness was full driven out and later destroyed by Colette's remaining energy, the blackness under Lloyd's eyes disappeared and he found he had control over himself again. "Colette?" Looking around he tried to find her in the backdrop of night, and found the same light energy form into the body of his dear friend. "Colette!"

Opening her eyes, Colette smiled weakly and said. "Hey Lloyd. Long time no see." Then her bright blue eyes closed and she fell back towards the ground.

"No Colette!" Flying forward, he caught her form and dropped down to the ground next to the body of his dead father. "Colette! Colette wake up! Please! Don't leave me!"

But the magic spell that had saved his life from the iron grip of darkness, had but one requirement...the spellcaster's own life. Colette Brunel, though having gone into hiding out of fear for the Warlord Lloyd, gathered her courage and ended up trading her life...to save his. And now, she would never hear his words of acceptance in the land of the living. "Colette...I...I loved you too."


	19. Sacrifices

Sacrifices

"Dwarven Vow #26: A friend – one soul, two bodies."

_Meltokio Castle – Throne Room_

Yuan stood before the Arbitrator, his blue cape hanging neatly behind him. He had arrived in the castle rather quickly and requested an audience with the former King of Tethe'alla. As soon as the leader was ready, the angel was escorted into the room and bowed respectfully to his host. "Sir, I have come today to warn you of…possible trouble in the near future."

"Your advise has always been respected, Lord Yuan. Please continue." The Arbitrator answered with a nod.

"Many centuries ago, back when Mithos first lost Martel…" He paused as the painful memories once again surfaced. "He was overwhelmed with grief and anger. The summon spirits reacted to his negative emotions and went out of control."

"You aren't suggesting _Lloyd_ will befall the same fate, do you?" The politician caught on.

Yuan sighed and crossed his arms with worry, which also reflected in his sapphire gaze. "Lloyd has been exposed to Zaichar's influence and already shows signs of…conversion. If this continues to go on, the spirits will no doubt sense it."

The man sitting in the throne nodded. "How long do we have?"

Responding as truthfully as he dared, Yuan shook his head. "I'm afraid Lloyd's time has run out."

_Triet Desert_

"Don't pretend like you know everything about me!" Genis shouted at his sister. "Aqua edge!" From his kendama three disks of water came jetting towards Raine.

"Force field!" Raine erected her barrier, like she had many times before, but refused to strike back. "I won't fight you, Genis! You're my brother!"

_Love_ _Devotion_ Feel it 

_Emotion_

Growling, Genis wouldn't buy into it. "Stop using that as an excuse! If you don't fight back, my magic is going to destroy you! Fire lance!"

The former teacher knew her barrier wouldn't hold up against another attack, so she ran to the side and barely evaded the deadly fire as it turned the sand where she had been sanding into a crater of dangerously sharp glass shards. "Pardon me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what you're _trying_ to you? Anti-magic!" She raised her wand to cast her spell and render her little brother's magic useless but the edges of Genis' body glowed black and the spell was nullified.

Laughing, Genis shook his head. "I'm merely trying to make you see that you're better than this! We all are! Half-elves or even elves shouldn't be forced to take orders from a mere human! We're better than they are!"

_Don't be afraid to be weak_

_Don't be too proud to be strong_

_Just look into your heart my friend_

_That will be the return to yourself_

_The return to innocence._

Raine's mouth fell open in shock. "Lloyd is your friend. It never mattered that he was human. The Genis I knew would've done everything in his power to see Lloyd safely through this! I know I taught you at least that during class!"

"Ha! Grave!" This time without even twirling his kendama, Genis summoned the element earth directly under Raine's feet and the half-elf scholar and teacher was thrown into the air like a rag doll. Crying out she landed hard on the sharp glass from before, spilling her blood over the cool night desert sands.

Grimacing, Raine tried to get back to her feet, but as she pressed down, she only managed to cut herself more. Genis walked up to her and looked down at her smirking. "_You_ merely brainwashed me into thinking everyone saw me equally. But they didn't, not when they found out what I really was."

"Lloyd did." Raine said painfully. "He found out and didn't care either way. All of our friends did."

"Shut up! They were lying the entire time!" Genis refused to believe the words his sister spoke.

"That's right, Genis. They were lying to you." A deep feminine voice entered the conversation. Raine looked up and Genis turned around to face the new intruder. It was Megami, though neither sibling knew that. "But now you know the truth, don't you?"

Narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously, Genis stood between the dark elf and his sister. "What's it to you?"

"I, as well as my master – Lord Zaichar – feel the same way. The elves and half-elves should be bossing around the humans as was intended ages ago." She answered smoothly.

"Really?" Genis asked with a cross of his arms.

Opening her arms, Megami smiled. "But of course. When the elves came down to Derris-Kharlan, they did so intending to bring leadership to a world that was barely holding onto life by a thread. That's why we created the Mana Tree. In order to save those beings far below us."

"That's...a lie!" Raine once again tried to get up, but slipped in her own blood and fell back down again. Her hands and arms stung from the embedded pieces of glass, but she grit her teeth and ignored it.

Genis raised an eyebrow, beginning to fall into Megami's deception. "What she says sounds more like the truth than other tales that have been told to us." Looking back down at his wounded sister, Genis continued. "And the elves are responsible for planting the first Great Kharlan Tree."

"That's right. And now my master wishes to have your strength by his side." Genis turned back around towards Megami. "Join him and you can finally rise to your rightful place. Above the humans...where you belong!"

Smirking at the sound of the idea, Genis took two steps towards Megami and lowered his kendama.

Gasping, Raine threw her rod with all her strength and tripped Genis back down into the sand, knowing it would take him a while to get up. Even as a child, he was prone to fall while just walking. "NO! I won't let you warp and corrupt him!" Jumping to her feet, Raine held her hands together and began chanting. "I call upon thy spirits of the earth, water, and sky! Aide me now!"

Looking up, Genis gasped as he saw different colored lights begin to form and encircle his older sister. Never before had the scholar mentioned she knew elemental magic. "R-Raine..."

_If you want, then start to laugh_

_If you must, then start to cry_

_Be yourself don't hide_

_Just believe in destiny._

Without her wand, Raine wasn't sure her casting would work, but she had to defend her little brother from the darkness with every ounce of strength she had left. Unfortunately, she would only have one chance at this. "Be gone! Evil creature! Elemental Photon Beam!" From her hands came a bright, multicolored beam that flew towards Megami like an arrow.

The dark elf laughed at the healer's meager attempt at casting an attack spell and merely swayed her hand to knock the energy arrow off course. Flying up into the dark of night, the arrow exploded, lighting up the desert area above the three. "Such a sad attempt. Now, Genis, I will show you the power Darkness grants its faithful followers. Lords of Death and Destruction banish the light and cover the world in all your glory!"

A black circle appeared on the ground around the two siblings and as dark energy began to gather in the center like a vortex, Raine gasped and turned around. "Force field!"

As Genis lay tripped on the floor, the mother of pearl jewel at the end of his sister's rod – which was still caught between his legs – began to glow and enveloped the young half-elf mage in a green hued shield. Shaking his head in disbelief, Genis looked up at his sister. "Raine…what are you…"

Turning around, Raine gave a weak smile for her little brother. Already the dark mana was charging up and she didn't want Genis to suffer in the darkness anymore. "Genis…I'm sorry…"

_Don't care what people say_

_Just follow your own way_

_Don't give up and use the chance_

_To return to innocence._

"Raine!" The boy shouted in grief when the spell finally exploded, filling the desert night with light. The scholar's body was torn apart and she was thrown into the air back towards the dark-elf's position.

Megami's laughter rang out as the healer bounced off the ground and lay unmoving. "Darkness shall conquer all." She stated before her image disappeared completely.

All across the desert sands, the grains subjected to the dark elf's magic was blackened and warped. But the area around Genis, where Rain's shield had protected him, was left perfectly unharmed. Pushing himself up with shaky arms, the young mage looked across the distance to his sister's still form and opened his mouth to speak…but the words wouldn't come out.

Slowly lifting the scholar's rod in both hands, Genis made his way to Raine's side where his legs instantly collapsed beneath him. Her clothes and body were scraped and gashed, the blood polling beneath her – creating a satanic sludge with the desert sand. "Raine…how…" Genis choked and closed his eyes in shame, his hands tightening around the rod as he shook with sobs.

Lying down on her back, the half elf's eyes fluttered open and she turned her head slightly to gaze at her brother. "Genis…it's ok." Upon hearing her voice, Genis' eyes shot open. "You were…right. I never did…ask how you felt."

_That's not the beginning of the end_

_That's the return to yourself_

_The return to innocence._

Now regretting his words earlier, the young boy shook his head as the tears continued to cascade down his cheeks. "But you were only looking out for me!" He exclaimed in anguish.

Wincing in pain, the healer tried to put up a strong front. "Genis, whatever you do, and whatever you feel, listen to your heart. Cause I'll be there to guide you…always."

"No! Don't talk like that!" Genis pleaded. "You're gonna be ok! And then we'll go to Triet and get you all patched up!" The half-elf knew it was close to an impossibility – the human settlement not wanting anything to do with _their_ kind – but he would try. For Raine, he would do anything.

_Don't care what people say_

_Follow just your own way_

_Follow just your own way_

_Don't give up, don't give up_

_To return, to return to innocence._

Looking down, he saw her eyes were closed as if sleeping, but when he nudged her, she refused to open her eyes. "Raine?" But her soul had already passed over. "RAINE!"

_Sybak_

Zelos pulled his arms tightly against his body to speed up his descent and quickly caught up with Sheena's form. Pulling her by the hand, Zelos wrapped his arms around her and dare not let go.

"Z-Zelos! Your wings!" Sheena gasped upon seeing the paper-thin looking wings now nothing but strips of dissolving mana. "We'll never make it back up!"

Shutting his eyes tightly, Zelos dove within him to the spirit he knew was there. _Shinji help me! I can't lose her now that I can finally call her my own! Please!_

Energy from the exsphere on Zelos' hip reacted with the spirit's reply and the glow flowed through the warrior's body to his damaged wings. As the glow traveled through Zelos' back, the wings were slowly repaired and even began to extent farther than they originally did. Once the spell was finished, Zelos flapped and controlled their fall, bringing their spinning descent to a close.

Both Sheena and Zelos sighed in relief and held onto each other as the warrior brought them back up towards the surface. As soon as they were above sea level, the obstructed lapse in dimensions closed itself and the two set down safely back on the beach just outside of Sybak.

Looking around, Saitou was nowhere to be seen and probably thought his two adversaries were already dead. Sheena whipped the sweat from her brow and turned to Zelos, almost falling over in shock at his new appearance. "Zelos!"

"What?" He asked confused.

"You're wings…they look different! Way different!" Sheena exclaimed.

"How so?" Zelos wondered, trying to get a good look behind him, but with no such luck.

Tilting her head, the ninja tried to find the right words. "They sort of look more like Mithos' wings. Yeah that's it! From his adult form!" She exclaimed.

Taking a step back in shock, Zelos wondered what could've caused such a change. _Shinji? Was it you?_

_Not directly no. Just as Mithos'…unique transformation made him look differently than his four Seraphim Generals, your change has made you unique. It was Mithos' initial love for his sister that changed him and…_

"My love for Sheena." Zelos understood. "Gotchya."

"Oh?" The ninja before him placed a hand on her hip. "You willing to share what your new friend just told ya?"

Smirking, Zelos held up his arms. "I don't know."

Stomping her foot, Sheena placed her fists down at her sides in a huff. "Stop playing! Yes you do, now explain it to me!" She demanded.

Instead of answering her, Zelos pulled her into a deep kiss, which instantly silence the ninja as her legs went limp beneath her. As he pulled away from the exchange, he looked deep into her eyes and winked. "You figure it out."

"Sheena! Zelos!" Carbuncle came bouncing over with Regal shortly behind. "I was so worried for you!" Carbuncle bounded into Sheena's arms and purred into the ninja's warmth.

Regal stopped and looked to both fighters. "Sybak was attacked and of course, Vicky blames us." Lowering his head, Regal confirmed their silent question. "It was Zaichar's forces."

Sheena and Zelos looked at each other. "This just keeps getting from bad to worse." Zelos commented.

Sheena smiled sympathetically as she petted her guardian across her spine. "Well, since we already paid for the room, which I hope is still standing, let's sleep through the night and tomorrow we'll meet with Yuan and the others back at Meltokio Castle."

"I was just about to suggest the same." Regal nodded.

Zelos smiled and came up to wrap an arm around Sheena's shoulders, pulling her close. "Maybe now we can sleep in the same bed?"

Blushing, Sheena neither denied the request, nor accepted it. She'd make him sweat it out for a while. Just for fun.

_Asgard_

Jolting out of his nightmare, Lloyd's eyes flashed back and forth, but found he was alone except for the cold night air that made it's way into the room through the now open window. Frowning, Lloyd got up and threw off the covers to make his way over to the window in order to close it. As he stood in front of the windowpane, hands ready to pull it down and go back to bed, a dark sense entered his presence. One he recognized and shivered at the mere thought of. "Zaichar…it can't be!"

Rushing back to the chair, which held his still damp clothes, Lloyd threw on his shirt and pulled up his pants and ran out the door still attaching his belt straps and weapon sheathes. Outside people stood staring at the front gate where Colette stood weapons out, facing a figure before her. Kratos lay unmoving next to her, obviously hurt and unable to battle further. Rushing to join her side and having to push his way through the crowd that had accumulated a good some yards behind the duo, Lloyd unsheathed his weapons and slid to a halt as the conversation finally reached his ears.

"You still fight for the man who denied your feelings? The man who killed innocents with his own hands and continues to push you away at every turn? Is that what you humans call love?" Zaichar asked mockingly from the sky.

"Lloyd has always pulled through, no matter what hardships he's faced! No matter what, I know he'll pull through this! You wouldn't understand, because you've never seen the look he gets in his eyes…the passion he feels when one of his friends is in danger." Glaring at Zaichar defiantly, Colette shouted, "I'll never turn my back on Lloyd because he never gave up on me!"

Laughing, Zaichar shrugged. "So be it. Perhaps your death will be the final straw which brings him over to my side…" Zaichar opened his arms and behind him, Omega appeared and powered up his dark attack. "May the nights bring you merciless pain and suffering, dear Chosen. Farewell!" The attack was released and Colette – her mana already depleted from the previous battle – crossed her chakrams in front of her in a weak attempt to block the powerful magic.

Lloyd saw this and found his legs rooted to the spot. Gasping he looked up and saw Zaichar looking straight at him. _He's doing this! He's preventing me from saving her because he wants me to see her die. No! I can't let that happen! _

FLASH!

"You must provide the tree with love and adoration. As long as those conditions are met, I shall always protect this seedling." Martel promised.

Lloyd nodded and held a fist over his heart. "I promise, if the tree ever starts to wither, I'll make sure… we won't let it die!" He swore.

FLASH!

"There are people on this side who still need you! You can't give up on them! Your mission isn't finished!" Kratos exclaimed, shocked that his son had ceased attacking him.

Lloyd paused and saw the bubble grow to a kind of portal. "T-they're all still alive?"

Above Heimdall, Kratos frowned at the sentence. "Of course! And they're all very worried about you. You have to come back now!"

FLASH!

Sighing disappointedly, Lloyd slumped a little. "Just like that and they're all gone."

Colette placed a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry. We'll all still be friends even if we're far apart from each other. Besides, I'll always be by your side Lloyd."

Lloyd smiled and nodded. "You're right. Thanks Colette."

FLASH!

Sniffling, Genis wiped away his tears before they could fall. "I wish I was more like you Lloyd. More stubborn and courageous when it came to defending the people I care about. You're not afraid of anything."

"What are you talking about? I'm afraid of a lot of things." Genis looked up in confusion. "I'm afraid Mithos will find a way back and split the world in two again. I'm afraid that another war will break out and the Great Viscus Tree will whither and die. I'm afraid my friends and family will end up suffering on my behalf. I'm afraid of all that, but I know I can't let that stop me when it comes down to fighting for what I believe in."

"But…"

"Genis, you fought against Marble - someone you cared about - in order to save her. You stood up to your fears when you came back to Iselia, even though there was a chance they'd throw you and me back out again. You, who thinks they have no courage whatsoever, took Mithos head on. An angel who came into power centuries ago and was strong enough to split the world in two - something neither of us even thought possible!"

"Yeah, but you were there with me Lloyd." Genis reminded him. "You gave me that courage."

Lloyd shook his head. "Me being there had nothing to do with it. Having fear has nothing to do with it. It's acknowledging it - knowing it's there - yet facing it and conquering it in order to protect the ones you love. Only when you let your fear consume you are you weak. When you fought to save your sister, against an enemy you were afraid of, you were courageous in every sense of the word. It's actions like that…that make the heroes of today. Heroes like Genis the Great!"

FLASH!

_There's so much more we have to do to save this world._ Lloyd thought sadly as Zaichar stared at him with those menacing chips of ice.

FLASH!

"How could you?" Kratos' child form asked accusingly.

Martel shook her head and Lloyd could see her eyes mist up. "Haven't you done enough?"

"You care nothing about anyone! You ruined so many lives!" Luccia blurted out angrily, finally raising her head to glare at him. "Didn't you say you loved her?"

"You hold regret from your past…it is a painful reminder of the choices you made that resulted in those you care for suffering on your behalf." Kratos said in a low voice. Even though it was that of a child's, it still carried the authority his adult form did.

"You grow and discover your faults, becoming stronger…only to throw all that away?" Martel wondered sadly.

Luccia sighed. "Strings have been cut that were meant to grow…lives have been lost that were meant to live. How do you plan to rectify your mistakes? The future depends on your answer…"

"I…" Lloyd was shocked at the comments. "I don't understand."

FLASH!

_Now I do understand. They knew and tried to warn me. I…can't give up yet…_

FLASH!

"Why not attack something that can fight back?" Kratos asked from twenty paces away.

Looking behind him, Lloyd saw his father standing there with his sword drawn, pointed towards the ground. "What good would it do? No amount of sword skill is going to help me defeat Zaichar. With the power of Omega, he can sense and block all of my moves."

"Perhaps I should tell you how I became the swordfighter that I am today. It wasn't from training with my master. Though he taught me the basics, much of what I learned was self taught, here in this very forest."

Curious, Lloyd placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Really?"

Nodding, the angel continued. "There are many sounds surrounding us even when there is silence. If you learn to listen, you can find and identify those sounds and therefore see without having to see."

FLASH!

Closing his eyes, Lloyd shut out all the other sounds around him. The gasping villagers behind him, Zaichar's maniacal laughter echoing through the night, even the sound of Omega's magic. It all silenced and only after this point of enlightenment, did the young boy hear a voice from deep within him. _Lloyd! Move! Lift your legs and run to her!_ It was Origin!

"C-COLETTE!" Lloyd shouted, making the connection once more than had been severed by the darkness, and the spell on his legs instantly shattered – releasing the boy who bolted forward.

Already the attack was on top of the girl and she winced in preparation.

"NO!" Lloyd wrapped his arms in front of her and even before the girl could whisper his name on her frightened lips, Lloyd pulled her close and held his back to Omega's might. "I won't lose you! GUARDIAN!"

The shout rang out clearly and instead of a misty green shield, a bright white light appeared from within Lloyd and the protective form of Origin materialized between Omega and the two youths. His four arms were spread out, each wielding their swords as he erected a barrier of his own. This one was pure white and when Omega's dark magic hit it, there was a bright flash and the attack was instantly absorbed into the powerful shield.

Everyone gasped and watched as Origin stared down his opponent. "Omega, you have no power here now. Leave Lloyd alone! He is beyond your reach!"

Omega sneered, obviously upset that his attack failed to kill Colette _and_ convert the half-angel boy to his master's side. "So you say, Origin. But no heart is made of gold. He has flaws, which leaves me gateways into his heart. It is only a matter of time."

Lloyd was shocked, but wouldn't dare release Colette.

"Not with me here it isn't. I will always protect him." Origin swore, now holding his swords in front of him offensively.

Zaichar growled and threw a fist across his chest in anger. "Then this will be an interesting match!" He exclaimed and faded within his black shield until his presence was completely gone.

Origin waited a moment, then relinquished his swords and turned around towards his master. "Lloyd, are you unharmed?"

Lloyd took this moment to pull away from Colette and take a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I think so. Colette?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes locked on Lloyd's intense gaze. Up until now she'd noticed it became foggier and hazier as time passed. Now they were clear and as gleaming as ever. But she still couldn't find her voice.

Barely releasing her now, Lloyd turned to his father where Origin was already administering first aid. "Will he be alright?" The angel's son asked. When the spell died down, Kratos moaned and slowly sat up, shaking his head. "Dad!" Rushing to his side, Lloyd knelt down. "Dad, I'm so sorry for the way I treated you."

Kratos gave a weak smile and sighed. "You were a handful, but I assume everything's fine now?"

Lloyd nodded confidently. "Yeah. Everything's good to go."

Nodding, Kratos got to his feet with his son's extended hand and brushed off his pants. "Good, then there's only one other problem we have to attend to." He knowingly turned to Origin.

The summon spirit nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid it has already begun."

Lloyd frowned. "What…what's begun?"

Kratos and Origin exchanged looks and turned back to Lloyd. It was unsure if the worst was really over, but this…they could handle. They would have to because otherwise Lloyd's summon spirits could bring about the Downfall unless they were stopped and soon.

_Triet Desert_

Holding his sister's limp head in his lap, Genis rocked back and forth – now having no more tears to shed for the sister that had done so much for him and even sacrificed her life to save the light within him that he himself thought he'd lost long ago. And unlike his dream, it had not been Genis who ended up pulling Raine free of the cold ice and darkness…but the other way around.

"Be aware of your emotions, Young Genis." A voice advised. Gasping, Genis turned and instantly saw a black robed figure with a distinctive red glow around him. "It was your feelings of sadness and insecurity that allowed the darkness to remain within your heart."

"That voice…you were the one back in Gauracchia Forest." Scoffing, Genis turned back down towards his sister. "Even you warned me and I wouldn't listen."

"But you understand now, don't you? Darkness and Light aren't always about good and evil. Any negative emotion can grow and darkness forms as a result. If you delve any deeper into your grief and guilt…the darkness within you _will_ take control of you and more will die." The man explained.

"But Raine's dead! How can I not feel grief over that? She was my sister!" Genis retorted in anger.

The figure stood still and Genis instantly recognized what the man meant. "Focus on saving those you can, fight the real evil behind the tricks and schemes, otherwise your sister's death was all for not."

"No! I…I can't let that happen…" Genis sighed sadly. Looking back up, the half elf noticed the figure had disappeared and turned back to Raine. "Oh Raine…what am I going to do without you?"

Making his way away from the mourning half-elf, the cloaked figure leapt up the side of Fooji Mountains towards the mesa at one of its peaks. He had done a lot, but there was still a few more acts left in this play that needed his…delicate touch. Genis was strong and the man didn't doubt he would pull through his sister's death and come out stronger in the end. It was, after all, the mage's destiny to do great things.

As he finally made it to the mesa, he allowed the person he'd been sensing for a while catch up to him and slowly turned around to face them. Glaring at him with her fiery red eyes, Megami growled and flexed her claws in anticipation. "You have been the one fooling with my plans. You'll know now how wrong it was to mess with me!" Leaping forward and easily closing the distance between the two, Megami slashed horizontally at the man.

At the last moment, the man ducked down to the side and spun to appear behind the dark elf, barely unsheathing his sword now. It didn't look too impressive, revealing itself to be a thin single sided blade that had an uncharacteristic gleam to it. Megami acted quickly and slashed behind her with her other hand, but only sparks met her gaze as the man lifted his sword to deflect her attack. In the light of the sparks, she saw a smug and confident grin beneath that hood.

Moving with calculative steps backwards, the hooded swordsman held his weapon loosely at his side, once again showing he felt no real threat from the general before him. "Shall we call it a draw or are you going to keep sharpening my sword for me?"

Megami was filled with rage and her aura blazed around her form to reflect it, but something about this mysterious interloper made her realize fighting him directly was not the way to eliminating him. He'd proven himself to be cunning, so the only way to outsmart him was to out-con him. _Perhaps my master could benefit from his strategic knowledge…_ She thought darkly. "I can see now that you are as skilled with the sword as you are in manipulation."

"I have manipulated nobody." He replied, placing his sword back in its sheath.

Swishing her new cape behind her, Megami paced back and forth, choosing her steps carefully and her words more so. "Persuasion then? Those individuals you saved from death and darkness would not have survived if not swayed by your…encouraging words."

The figure remained still, not revealing anything to the agitated elven female. "The truth is never a matter of conversation or influence, it doesn't matter if one believes it or not. It simply is."

"Then tell me, stranger, how was it you were tipped off by all of my schemes? How can you be everywhere at once?" She stopped her pacing and crossed her arms.

That same confident smile crossed his lips as he replied. "Something that does not exist cannot _be_ anywhere, therefore it cannot be everywhere at all."

Stomping her foot, Megami once again growled but this time kept it low in her throat. "Enough of your riddles, infidel! You will tell me your reasons for interfering or you will find yourself with a much greater enemy than I." She warned. _If I cannot convince him to reveal who he is or his powers, Lord Zaichar will surely be able to bring him over to our side._

"If you wish to know the mind of a man, listen to his words." The cloaked figure stated. "Now I must bid you farewell, Megami. I have other places to be." Taking a step back, the man disappeared below the level of the mesa.

"NO!" Rushing forward, Megami looked over the side and could've sworn she saw a black silhouette gliding down on the chilling evening air. "No…is he…an angel?"

_Triet_

The door to the inn opened the next morning and Presea rushed out of her room to see who it was. After having disappeared the entire night before, the axe-wielding girl feared for both of her half-elven friends. With tensions only growing with the presence of the two halflings, Presea feared the villagers or even the former Renegade soldiers would take it upon themselves to exile them.

When she looked over the railing and saw Genis carrying the body of Raine across both arms, a look of devastation on his face, she instantly understood what it meant. "No…"

Having no one in the village who would handle Raine's cremation, Presea accepted the responsibility of carrying the scholar back to the Renegade Base and contacting Lloyd from there. Genis merely agreed and followed in tow as his companion talked with the guards at the base and got them admitted.

Presea had Lloyd contacted from the communications center at the base, but felt it would be better to tell the group in person, so she simply requested his immediate presence. "I understand. We'll be right there." The youth replied, his voice coming across the link with a string of static – the mountains of Asgard proving to be an inhibitor against the radio signal. "We've got problems of our own that will need looking into as well. See you in a day's time." Presea nodded and the connection was broken.

Retreating back to their room, Presea entered to see Genis still sitting in the bed where she'd left him. She approached slowly, not wanting to startle her friend, and carefully sat down next to him. "Genis…" When he didn't respond, she looked away unsurely, then continued. "It was not your fault."

"You don't even know what happened." The pained boy retorted in a croaked voice.

"But I know you would never harm your sister. You would never go as far as to kill her. I…believe that with all of my heart." As she said this, her earlier conversation with Regal resurfaced and her eyes widened. "For some seeing is believing, but I did not have to be there to understand what happened. Nor do I feel the need to ask because I know you will tell me in time. For now I am content with my initial assumption and I will remain by your side, as your friend."

Misting up once more, Genis looked up and met Presea's jaded gaze. Finally submitting to his pain, he lowered his head…and cried into her lap. Before she even knew it, Presea wrapped her arms around her body and held him close. She wouldn't say any more, she didn't have to. What exchanged between the two was beyond words and only Genis' soft crying could be heard in the silence of the room.

_Genis, I am here for you._


	20. Moving Forward

Moving Forward

"Dwarven Vow # 32: Grief shared is half grief; joy shared is double joy"

Author's Note – Just to let everyone know, I'm really sorry for waiting this long to update but FFN has been giving me problems with uploading and only now have I been able to give you all the chapters I've work on all this time. So I'm sorry for the wait, but thanks for your continued support! Sybak 

Zelos and Sheena, with Carbuncle sitting happily in her mistress' lap, waited patiently in the lobby of the inn as Regal checked them out. Things were still quiet between the two, but what occurred the night before would be the beginning of something beautiful. Now they were no longer uncomfortable with each other and even exchanged smiles when no one was looking. Though neither had said anything about their new relationship as of yet, Carbuncle looked up and snickered to herself, knowing the truth. Her mistress was happier and that's all that mattered to the little blue guardian.

The door to the inn opened up and Vicky came walking in. As Regal joined his companions' side, he gave a warning glance to Zelos and faced the delegate. "Representative Vicky, the city is well in order I assume?"

Looking annoyingly off to the side, the woman cursed under her breath. "Yes, and as it is unofficial that you and your friends were the cause for the attack, Sybak owes you its gratitude for fending off the dark angels."

Regal, as well as Zelos and Sheena, was shocked by the admission and slowly nodded his head. "Your welcome. Perhaps this hospitable arrangement between us can remain secured during the next world council meeting?"

Vicky's head shot up and she glared at the president. "Absolutely not. I will do what is best for Sybak and if that does not suit well with your ideals or plans for the new world, then I will always stand against you." She raised her nose into the air and spun on a heel to quickly leave the inn.

"I think that's as much of a good mood as we're ever gonna see her." Sheena commented with a half-smirk.

"I suggest we make our leave while she is in this…good mood." Regal motioned an arm to the door.

Zelos sighed and placed his hands behind his head smiling. "I still think we can expect trouble from her and her twin (meaning the head scientist from the Research Academy) at the next meeting."

"That's why you're going to keep quite and not aggravate her." Sheena poked his arm warningly.

"I never said I would." Zelos said in his own defense, but a bright glimmer shined in his eye, making Sheena sigh in defeat. Taking care of Zelos was going to be a handful.

"Um, Mr. President? This message just came in for you." The innkeeper handed Regal a note that was probably jotted down from the Morse Code Communications System (MCCS).

Sheena frowned and looked over Regal's shoulder. "What's it about?"

Reading it, Regal himself was disturbed by the choice of words. "Presea and Genis are at the Renegade Base at Triet. Lloyd's going to meet her there with Colette and Kratos, so we are to go as well."

"That's it? That doesn't sound too bad." Zelos remarked.

_No it doesn't._ Regal thought. _But it doesn't say anything about Raine…_

Asgard 

As Colette made her farewells to the half-elves of Asgard and Kratos assured them that he would accept the responsibility of representing the small cliff town at the next world council – their previous delegate having been one of the first casualties – Lloyd himself stood just beyond the entrance's overhand, staring intently at a particular spot on the ground. It had been here that the half-angel had struck down the leader of the mob from the night before. He held feelings of both regret and pity for the bloodshed. It had always been in self-defense, his previous struggle against Mithos, as a fight for the greater good. But as his steel ripped apart the man's flesh, and Lloyd smiled in elation, he had crossed the line and truly lost any innocence he still held.

_"Do you know why they appear as children? Because children are the very essence of innocence…untainted from the cruel harsh realities of the real world. But you, Lloyd…You are anything but innocent. Well, not anymore."_

Clenching his eyes shut, Lloyd knelt down on one knee and placed a flat palm against the red stained soil. Nothing he did, and no amount of apology would get the man's family to forgive him. He knew if Kvar had apologized for his inhumane actions against Anna, Lloyd would find it hard to forgive him too. Just like Presea found it difficult to forgive Regal. It just seemed strange to be on the opposite end of the atrocity.

"Do you remember what I told you before at Lake Umacy? About surviving life's trials?" Kratos asked from behind Lloyd.

"What's important is we make it through." Lloyd recited. "I know, but I still wonder if I could've been stronger…and resisted the darkness."

Kratos completely understood, having wondered himself if there had been a way to save Anna and Lloyd that fateful day. "Unfortunately, even with the Eternal Sword, we cannot change the path of people's lives. Though the man could've survived the night, he would still be susceptible to the swift judgment of the fates. You cannot remain trapped in the past Lloyd…"

"Or I will lose sight of the future." Lloyd stood up and faced his father. "I know, but I…"

"Lord Kratos?" One of the villagers asked timidly from behind the angels.

Kratos nodded his apologies to Lloyd and walked over to the man. Meanwhile, Colette finished her goodbyes and slowly made her way over to the now free Lloyd. As she joined his side, she looked down at his feet and saw the reason for his downtrodden expression. She met his inquisitive gaze with an uncertain expression of her own. The night before still fresh in her mind, Colette wasn't really sure where to begin.

Surprisingly it was Lloyd who started the conversation. "You know, most of last night is still a blur, and what I do remember…I don't want to." He stared down at the bloody stains created by none other than him.

Colette wanted to say something encouraging, but as she opened her mouth to say something, it clamped back shut.

Letting out a quiet, short laugh, Lloyd shook his head. "I don't know if anything I say will make you forgive me, Colette." The comment made the angel-girl gasp. "But I just want to let you know, that I'll never do anything like that again." He looked up and forced himself to look into her shocked, cerulean orbs. "You were the one that saved me last night, even after everything I did, you still stood by my side."

"That's what friends do, Lloyd." Colette replied just above a whisper.

"Maybe…we can be more than friends someday. You know, when things settle down?" Smiling, Lloyd held up his half of the pendant, now connected to a chain. In his other hand he brought up an identical chain and handed it to her. "After all, it was you who reminded me who I really was…on the inside."

Colette beamed and happily took the chain, restraining herself from hugging him outright. Her face was flushed, she knew that, but she didn't care. Her Lloyd was back and she wasn't ever going to lose him again.

Kratos finally joined the couple and cleared his throat. "Are we ready to go?"

Lloyd sighed, nervous once more. "How am I supposed to hunt down my summon spirits and calm them down? What if they don't listen to me?"

"They must because you are our master." As the three heard Luna's voice, they looked around and watched as each summon spirit appeared before Lloyd. All except two. The Summon Spirit of Light, still sitting regally on her moon, held her scepter with a smile. "You turned away from the darkness and rejoined the light. Because of that many of us were able to keep in control."

"The only ones who weren't were Undine and Efreet, the big idiot." Celsius commented with a cross of her arms.

"Where are they?" Lloyd asked.

"Undine headed for the biggest body of water she could find." Yutis replied next to her sisters.

Sephie giggled in confidence. "But since she's usually a very calm and wise spirit, we can calm her down real easy!"

"Just give us the word!" Fairess nodded.

Celsius shook her head. "I could care less what the rest of you do, but no one can handle Big Red but me. I should go after Efreet."

"But isn't he most harmful to you too?" Lloyd asked. "You could be putting yourself in…"

"I can handle it." She met her summoner's gaze with determination and Lloyd nodded.

"Okay, you go and stop him." He turned to Sylph. "The three of you and Gnome will go to stop Undine. We'll go to the Renegade Base first to regroup, then head to the world council. Celsius, I'm counting on you. When you're done, meet us back at Meltokio Castle too."

The ice Goddess nodded. "You got it." Then disappeared.

"And…us?" Shadow asked slowly.

Lloyd shook his head. "Sorry, but I don't think any other elements will be of much help right now, but thanks." He replied. "Now, let's meet up with the others."

Triet Desert – Renegade Base 

"They're here, Genis." Presea announced to the quite mage. Still lying down in bed, Genis had his back turned from the axe-girl. "Do you wish to attend?" She asked politely.

Taking a shaking breath, Genis rolled over and sat up. He nodded yet still stared down at his covers. "Yeah, I'll be there in a sec."

Presea nodded and exited the room. In the next room were all of their friends, having just arrived from all of their missions, a majority of them being successful. In Sybak, with Zaichar's forces exposed thanks to Regal's explanation, the rumors would be put to a halt as to which race was behind it. In Asgard, Lloyd, Kratos and Colette had defended the half-elves and scared off the humans for now. After the world council meeting, more soldiers would be put in order to protect the villagers. Unfortunately, Presea and Genis were not successful in their investigation, but that was of little consequence compared to their other news.

Genis came out quietly and although the group wondered why he was so down, they figured they'd find out eventually. Standing just behind Presea, Genis still refused to meet anyone's gaze as the girl began to inform her friends about their mission. "Genis, Raine and myself came to Triet to discover that some of the Renegade soldiers from here defected, or at least quit working for Yuan, after his display against Zaichar." She began. "We were admitted only after revealing the urgency of our mission."

"So it's become a human settlement?" Sheena asked.

Presea nodded. "Last night, I sensed a very strong dark aura in the desert and Raine left to investigate. She left without warning and it wasn't until the morning that I…"

"She's gone." Genis croaked.

Lloyd bolted to his feet and shock and exclaimed. "What? Where? Did she run off again?"

"No, she's gone! She's dead!" Genis finally rose his head to meet Lloyd' intense stare with a tear-filled one of his own.

"H-how could that have happened?" Colette asked in an already shaking tone.

Biting his bottom lip, Genis clenched his eyes shut. "It was me. I ran off and Raine went after me. When Megami showed up, she…defended me against the dark mana, but…her own barrier…she just didn't have enough mana left…" Genis replied.

"Oh my gosh." Sheena's hand shot up to her mouth as her eyes also began to water. "So she's…"

Genis could only nod.

Lloyd couldn't believe it and felt his legs weaken, but supported himself on a nearby chair. "That…that witch!" Lloyd cursed, wiping away his own tears before they could fall.

"Those of Triet refused to give Raine a proper service, so I brought her here." Presea reported. Had she the ability to cry, she would have, but she still felt an incredible loss for her friend, as did everyone in the room at that time.

Kratos, though his heart was torn with pain, stood up and cleared his throat. "I will inform Yuan that we'll be delayed for a while and that we'll be conducting Raine's funeral here…"

"Cremation." Genis cut off the angel. "Raine…wanted a cremation."

Kratos nodded and left to make the call, as well as prepare the pyre.

Colette walked up to Lloyd's side and the two slowly embraced, depending on each other for strength. Sheena buried her face in Zelos' chest while the warrior attempted to compute the recent information. It was almost too hard to believe. Regal merely bowed his head in sorrow, his hands folded in prayer to the Goddess Martel.

Presea turned to Genis, but the boy had already returned to his room. It would take time, but she knew he had to be strong enough to overcome his grief.

Icy Plains Near Flanoir 

Celsius followed Efreet's mana until she ended up high in the north in Flanoir. It surprised her that he would choose her element, but then again it was here where he could cause the most damage. Soaring over the mountains surrounding her frozen paradise, Celsius slowed her approach and found herself closing her eyes as she inhales the crisp, cold air into her lungs. It was here, in her element, where she felt most at home – her actual temple being located just South of the city of Flanoir. To most humans, the biting frost was something to protect yourself from, but for the Goddess of Ice, the weather couldn't be better.

The nostalgic feelings quickly melted away when Celsius caught wind of Efreet's Fiery Rage near the snowy town itself. Narrowing her eyes with a low growl, she sped off through the air, already formulating her berating words to her overheated counterpart. Before she saw him, she heard his monstrous laugh echo off the tall ice shelves behind the city. The sound and increased heat of the air caused pieces of the shelf to fall off and come barreling towards the human city.

"There you go again! One little ounce of freedom and you're already causing trouble!" Celsius flew down to intercept the increasing avalanche and looked up to see Efreet floating above the disturbance. "What will this solve, Efreet? Must you be so hot-headed all the time?" She shouted.

Laughing, Efreet waved a hand and a serpent of fire flew down onto the ice boulders, melting them into a faster moving tidal wave. 'I am stronger than all of you!" Efreet countered against his fellow summon spirit. "And power is what controls the weak!"

"As dim-witted as ever!" Celsius berated, throwing up her arms as she shouted, "Ice Wall!" From beneath her, a giant, thick plate of ice rose up to defend Flanoir at its mistress' call. The tidal wave rammed into the wall at the bottom of the mountainside, instantly freezing and coming to a halt. Taking a deep breath of relief, Celsius flew up – preparing to land on top the ice wall, when Efreet came and swung a might fist, shattering the wall and frozen avalanche into nothing but chips of ice. "How _dare_ you interfere?"

Celsius gasped and barely avoided his next swing. The two elemental spirits had always been at odds with each other, but Celsius hadn't seen such anger in the Fire Lord since Mithos' decline after Martel's death.

The ice goddess always blamed Efreet for their imprisonment in the mana links. Now instead of being able to travel around in her winter paradise, she was contained to a pseudo-home within the ice temple. It was part of the reason Celsius always had a grudge against her counterpart. _And I'll be damned if I let Efreet cause Lloyd to imprison us once more. Not this time. Not again._ She swore.

Gathering up her mana, Celsius met Efreet's gaze and charged in.

Genis stood hands in arms hanging limply on his sides. His chin was level only for the fact that he didn't want to rest of the group to see his pain. His eyes were locked on Raine, her body laid out and covered with a clean white sheet, revealing only her serene face and eternally closed eyes. Kratos had done what he could to prepare her body, including purifying her wounds of Megami's dark mana which had begun to appear shortly after Presea and Genis' arrival at the base.

The females of the group, minus Presea, held each other and tried to stop the tears that had yet to cease from the time they initially learned of the healer's passing. Genis wanted to cry too, but somehow the words of the mysterious man from before made him resist. His feelings of fear had been what gave the darkness access into his heart the first time. Now his feelings of guilt threatened to do the same all over again and he couldn't afford that. Not now.

Megami was still out there. The dark elven general serving under Zaichar. She was the real one to blame and Genis swore to himself not to lose sight of that. For Raine's sake.

Genis heard Lloyd besides him take a deep breath and tried to show the courage his friends needed to see so much. "It didn't matter if you knew Raine, Professor Sage, for a day or a year, you instantly felt you had an unbreakable wall behind you, to support you when you fell. Whether it was her fierce love of learning and teaching, or her gift as a healer, she always did what she could for those around her.

"As a half-elf, she was faced with a lot of discrimination from those who refused to see who she was on the inside. As a teacher, she was admired and looked up to for her insight and wisdom. She meant a lot to all of us and we pray that the Goddess accepts her with the open arms she shows unconditionally to all her children, and may she continue to guide us as we live our lives with the lessons and teachings that are her legacy. Farewell, Professor."

Nodding to his father, Lloyd finished his speech and gave the signal for the angel to step forward with his lighted torch."

"Wait." Genis spoke up quietly. Lloyd gave him a confused look, but when the small mage pleaded with his eyes, the half angel nodded and motioned with his hand for Kratos to wait.

Stepping forward, Genis took a similar breath as Lloyd had and tried to find the right place to start. "Most of my happiest memories happened in Iselia and unlike everyone else, it wasn't because she was Professor Sage, but instead…Raine – my big sister." Genis let out a small smile and looked down in embarrassment. "Raine had to be a lot of things to a lot of people: a teacher, an elf, a scholar, and to me she was forced to be a mother and a sister. When Raine first told me to lie about being a half-elf, I hated it. I didn't understand why people couldn't know who I really was. But now I see that she did it to protect me. Even now, people who hate me for being a half elf make me mad in return, and I know I can't harbor those kinds of feelings anymore."

"I don't remember Tethe'alla at all, but what I do remember of me and Raine in Iselia more than make up for it. She was the one who taught me to control my mana and summon the elements, she supported me when I wanted to learn to cook…she even taught me to lace my shoes." Everyone smiles, remembering their own good times with the teacher. "Raine told me, that no matter what happens, I should always listen to my heart, because she'll be there guiding me. And even though Raine's the only family I've ever had, my heart's telling me…I had another one here all alone. Or maybe my family just got bigger and I'm just realizing it now." Genis met everyone's gaze and nodded. "May she guide us all in the future we encounter and aide us in our struggles."

Lloyd nodded in approval and Kratos set the pyre ablaze stop the roof of the base. Raine's body was engulfed in flame and smoke rose not as a black remainder, but as a pure white transformation into the heavens. Everyone offered their prayers to the goddess and bowed their heads in respect.

After everyone retreated back to their quarters, only Lloyd remained behind, Raine's pyre long burning away. He stood looking out over the desert, it's hot air lifting his bangs back and forth white his eyes stayed locked on the city that had refused to help a half elf. Triet stood alone in the middle of a yellow sea of sand. The lake behind it, sparkled with a clear sunlight, it's cool refreshing water providing life where normally only death would be found.

_Death_. Lloyd's heart sank at the thought of the word. His friends would need his help and guidance now more than ever, but lately the growing youth felt less in control of his surroundings as the situations and trouble they faced appeared way out of his area of expertise. When he could barely keep his own emotions to a simmer, how could others view him as a leader?

So enveloped by his own thoughts, Lloyd didn't notice someone come up behind him under he heard the step on the hard cement and in reaction, he spun around sword aimed at their throat.

_CLANK!_

"D-Dad!" The youth gasped as his sword was deftly intercepted by the older angel's own blade. Quickly sheathing it, Lloyd tried to stutter a response. "I-I'm so sorry!"

Shaking his head, Kratos smirked. "Don't worry about it. Perhaps we're more alike than we've yet to discovered." He quipped.

Lloyd's shoulders loosened and he too smiled. Turning back to the view, the half-angel felt his smile fade. "Yeah, but if that was true…" He stopped and sighed.

"Then what?"

Shaking his head, Lloyd didn't bother turning to face his father as the angel joined his side. "Dad, what am I doing thinking I can lead them against Zaichar and his forces when I'm barely been able to hold it together this long?"

Placing one gloved hand on his hip, Kratos mulled over his son's dilemma. Anna would be helping their son when he needed it the most, but as his father he had to do what he could for Lloyd as well. "I'm not sure I quite see the problem." He admitted. "As I remember, it was right after you were exiled from Iselia that you and Genis sought out Colette in order to protect her. Were you not in turmoil then?"

"Well, I guess, but it's not a simple matter of just protecting them anymore. It's much more complicated than that."

"Is it now?" The older man asked. "Strange that you should say that because when I was leading Colette and all of you to the Tower of Salvation and ultimately Mithos, all I could think about was how to protect you and how I was going to keep you from harm in the midst of all the chaos we were facing."

Lloyd finally turned in shock. "Really?"

Kratos merely nodded. "Even though I was meant to end the life of another Chosen, by submitting her to Mithos and allow him to keep control of not only Origin – against his will – but all of the other summon spirits, through all this the most important thing is what kept me focused: overlooking your safety."

The boy was open mouthed to be sure. "What that made it all easier?"

"Not exactly, but it made it…less _complicated _than it needed to be." Eyeing his son, Kratos asked, "What is most important to you, Lloyd?"

The answer came easily. "I don't want to loose anyone else, Dad. Not Genis, not Sheena or Zelos, and especially not Colette. They all mean so much to me and depend on me to see them safely through this." Lloyd slumped and let out a heavy sigh. "I just don't know if I'm cut out for this."

Kratos placed a hand on his son's shoulders, making the youth look up. "Just make sure all your decisions reflect your goal, and you will succeed. You have grown strong Lloyd, mentally and physically. No one can deny that. And you will be the leader they need because you've always had it within you to protect those you love and that is what makes a strong leader."

"He's right." Origin joined the conversation before materializing before the duo. "The situations we face and later overcome make us stronger."

"Yeah, that's what Dad was saying back at the house."

Origin nodded. "Therefore, it is only logical that those who face more obstacles become even strong, wouldn't you agree?"

"Well, you're stronger than I'll ever be." Lloyd reminded. "Being the leader of the summon spirits can't be easy."

"It's not and I've had my own fair share of trials and mistakes to overcome." The might summon spirit admitted.

"Mithos?" Lloyd asked knowingly.

"I believed in his words of equality but did not consider how his methods would effect all creatures born of this earth. You and Kratos have rekindled my hope in mankind and therefore made me stronger."

Kratos nodded. 'Just like those around you Lloyd, make you strong and vise-versa. It is an interdependency that flows between every living being on this world."

"So you're saying my friends make me strong and I in turn make them strong too?" The youth finally caught on.

"Exactly." Origin smiled down at his master. "Protect them and they will protect you. And because of this, Zaichar and Omega don't stand a chance."

Confidence filling his heart by the moment, Lloyd raised a fist. "Alright! After the second World Council, we'll make Zaichar see how weak he and his summon spirit really are!"

Kratos, seeing his son enthusiastic once more, nodded. "I will do ahead to Meltokio and update Yuan."

"No." Lloyd stopped him. "We go in together; as a group. The more we separate, the more chances we give Zaichar to strike. I won't lose you too, Dad. Come on, let's go get everybody else and we'll move out."

Pride filled Kratos at how well his son bounced back and respected him as a leader now more than ever. "Very well."

Fishing Village of Izoold 

Gnome and Sylph stood at the shore of Izoold searching for their friend. "Maybe she's already calmed down." The digger said hopefully.

Sephie shook her head. "No, she's out there and she knows we're here too."

Yutis agreed. "And she's not too happy about it."

"Here she comes!" Fairess shouted.

Gnome, not yet sensing anything, huffed a little. "Okay, now I think you guys are just…" Cutting off the protector of mother earth was a giant funnel of water that shot up underneath the docks of Izoold. Acting quickly, Gnome dug his shovel into the soft sands beneath his feet and created a giant rock wall that shielded both himself and the Sylph sisters from the flying water and wood. Boats were demolished and planks of wood were thrown hundreds of feet into the air.

The three fairies carefully peeked over their protective wall and stared with worry at their friend, knowing she was in the center of that spinning vortex. "Undine! Calm down! It's ok, we're here now!" Yutis tried to call out.

The funnel only seemed to spin faster with Undine's growing anger. "Over the course of their planet's history, the humans have learned nothing about co-existing and living in peace!" She cried out. "Thousands of years and they've refused to evolve at all! Even now they turn on each other like rabid wolves!"

"But not all the humans dislike half-elves! Master Lloyd and his friends travel together in order to make this world a better place!" Fairess reminded her.

"But even he fell blind to the consequences his actions have taken. These humans at Asgard will return and seek their revenge on half-elves who want nothing more than to live in peace! I will not follow one so foolhardy and brainless!" Like water reflects the images placed upon its surface, Undine reflected herself and the one waterspout split into two more identical funnels.

Sephie gasped. "But Lloyd _has_ learned the error of his ways and even now moves forward to unite this planet's people has one! You must have sensed this!"

Gnome, standing down on the ground upholding his shield, shook his head up at the fairy sisters. "Something tells me she's not in the listening mood right now."

Narrowing her eyes, Sephie said with determination that reflected in his sisters. "Then we will have to make her listen. Come on girls!"

"Right!" They replied.

Taking that as his cue, Gnome lowered his shield and the Sylph sisters flew in towards Undine. Though he would not be as susceptible to water as Volt, Gnome's abilities would be greatly hampered if he were to venture past the shore. For that reason, he was forced to stay behind.

Undine's water spouts hissed and roared upon the ocean's surface like sea serpents poised for battle. Each Sylph sister took one funnel and knew somehow they had to stop Undine's movement and get her to listen to their words of truth. Undine was not one to act irrational at any time, her wisdom allowing her to analyze each situation and find the best solution. With Lloyd's previous anger being felt in her as well, the water mistress was not presently thinking with a clear mind.

Undine's form stood still within the spinning water of her creations, but only one was truly her. Yutis pulled out her bow and arrows and aimed at her friend. _Forgive me._ So rarely were the summon spirits forced to fight each other and the archer did not take pride in having to subdue her friend in such a manner. "Here goes." She let the arrow fly and it flew straight through Undine, causing the water maiden no pain whatsoever. Undine's punishment was swift and the funnel bent and whip-lashed, sending Yutis back towards shore.

"I got ya!" Gnome jumped forward and caught the little fairy before she hit the ground.

"Oh no!" Fairess exclaimed as she soon found out hers was not the real one either. The funnel rushed forward and consumed her, spinning her round and round, all the while Undine taunted her for her rash actions. "The winds have no control over me, little one." As Fairess was also thrown back, Gnome and Yutis worked together to cushion her fall, leaving only Sephie to face off with Undine.

"I do not wish to face you this way, but if you will not listen to our words, we have no choice but to fight." She warned before diving into the funnel head on with her sword. The action caught Undine off guard and she barely had time to unsheathe her water blade to parry the attack. Sephie pushed down hard, but part of her had trouble staying in the air while the rushing waters continued to spin around them. Meeting Undine's even blue gaze, Sephie gritted her teeth as she spoke. "We are the protectors of the humans, so chosen by the Goddess Martel herself. Would you go against your oath and defy her?"

"Humans…in order to protect them, we would have to lock them up like the animals they are, and even then they would no doubt continue to fight amongst themselves." Undine replied. "The humans will bring about their own demise whether we existed or not."

"I won't let you continue to harm those we are meant to protect."

"You should be more worried about how to protect yourself." Undine broke their clash and swung her blade horizontally in a wide arc, causing Sephie to evade backwards. In doing so, though, the little fairy lost her balance and was caught up in the winds, being thrown end for end back into the merciless waves below.

"Sephie!" Her sisters called out from shore.

Sephie reemerged and coughed up seawater but otherwise looked unharmed. "Okay, looks like our only other choice is to stop her movement. This isn't over yet!"

Meltokio 

Lloyd and the others entered Meltokio castle cautiously and with their senses on alert. Already upon entering the bustling town, they had gotten the impression that they were not exactly wanted. Passerby would glare at them, but none had had to courage to voice any accusations yet. Lloyd couldn't begin to figure out what could cause them to act that way and so was even more unnerved than the rest of the group.

Inside the castle, things were a little less tense, but the half-angel could still tell all eyes were on him whether he saw them all or not. Not having been present during the first world council, Regal assured him some of the tension was normal and that since he was the main speaker of today's meeting, all eyes would naturally be on him, though even the seasoned politician himself could tell something else was amiss.

The first to greet them was Yuan, dressed as he always was, which seemed more suited for the castle than his Renegade base. The angel shook hands with Kratos, who took point along with Lloyd, and took a step back. "I am glad to see you made it. Wait, where is Raine?" Lloyd merely lowered his head and shook his sadly. "Oh, I am sorry. I offer you my condolences." Yuan said with a bow. Looking to Kratos, Yuan asked, "And what of the other matter we spoke of?"

Kratos nodded, knowing Yuan meant the situation with the summon spirits. "It is being dealt with as we speak."

Yuan seemed surprised by this, but after so many years of being a double agent, he had long learned to cover up his emotions. "I see. Then please, follow me into the main hall. The delegates are convening there as we speak." Turning on his heel, Yuan lead the group to the second floor of the castle and as they entered the door, the two guards parted the double doors and allowed them entrance.

The Arbitrator, upon seeing them, smiled and rushed to meet them. "Lord Yuan and Lord Kratos! And I see you've brought Lloyd with you as well! Surely now we can get everyone to come to an understanding about these horrific rumors and battles being fought at random all over the land."

Kratos cleared his throat. "Have you heard from the town of Asgard yet?"

The older man nodded knowingly. "Yes, and I approve of the substitution. I welcome you to World Council, Lord Kratos. Your wisdom will no doubt be of great service to everyone present today."

Kratos bowed in respect. "Your confidence is overwhelming, Arbitrator."

"Let us just hope today's meeting is more…fruitful than the last."

Kratos look over to Lloyd. "That will depend on their generation, I believe."

As the Arbitrator went up to the podium and attempted to quiet the whispering delegates, Kratos took his seat behind a small plaque that read "Asgard". Looking down towards the stage, he knew Lloyd was beyond nervous, but his son did a good job keeping his composure and made sure his friends behind him did the same. Yuan stood present but off to the side where he could listen and interject as needed.

"Quiet please." The Arbitrator asked one last time. "I know many of you wish to voice your concerns about the recent conflicts but you must first be recognized if we are to come to a working solution."

The representatives finally quieted and the older man took a deep breath. Looking up, he saw Neil raise his hand. "The floor recognizes Palmacosta."

Neil, still uncomfortable with his new position, cleared his throat and tried to calm his breathing as he stood up. "We at Palmacosta have recently experienced…attacks by elves. So far no one has been seriously injured, but it does beg the question…are these elves those from Heimdall?"

"Yes, I wonder why Heimdall has yet to sent a representative to these meetings." Vicky commented calmly.

The Arbitrator nodded. "The villagers from Heimdall have all gone missing. Their village is deserted, leaving no trace as to their whereabouts, but I assure you, those who ransack houses and cause petty rivalries between the humans and half-elves could never be the calm, wise elves we all came to know of in Heimdall."

"But how can we know for sure?" The new representative for Altamira interrupted.

"Who will be attacked next?" Ozette's delegate followed up with, the village itself always having a problem with outsiders, let alone half-elves.

"Please! If you would all remain quiet, Lloyd Irving and his companions have come here to explain everything."

This instantly silenced everyone and Lloyd slowly came up to the podium as the Arbitrator stepped aside.

Lloyd looked over the delegates and as most glared at him impatiently, the youth froze up and couldn't find his voice. Then from behind him, he heard a quiet "Go for it!" and a "You can do it!". Turning around, he saw Colette and Genis smiling. It reminded him of those times he could be forced to speak in Professor Raine's class. His friends would always be there supporting him when he froze up. _Thanks guys._ He thought with a smile.

Turning back to the representatives, which also included his dad, Lloyd found the courage he need to say what he'd come to say. "The attacks, both angelic and elven, have been the work of one man…and his name is Zaichar." Holding the podium on both sides, Lloyd said this next part carefully. "Any rumors you heard were started by agents of his, generals who wanted us to turn on each other so they could benefit from the chaos."

"Then the evil elves, dark elves really, they we've seen were created by him?" Triet's representative asked.

_That's a tough one. If I answer yes, in a way I'd be lying. But if I tell them it's the elves from Heimdall, the elves will be blamed for all the reparations Zaichar has caused._ In his indecision, Lloyd met his father's gaze, and the angel simply stared back calmly, showing his son he trusted his judgment. "Yes, he's created an army. One he plans to force us into submission."

Concern broke out and voices slowly rose into arguments. "That is why we must stand together, supporting one another instead of worrying about who's to blame!" Lloyd shouted.

In an show of anger, the man sitting next to Vicky, the head scientist from the Institute shot to his feet. "Who says we have to worry about who's to blame? The answer's standing right in front of us!" This made everyone gasp as he pointed angrily at Lloyd.

"Jonathan!" Vicky berated. "What are you talking about?" After Regal's actions in Sybak, Vicky had slowly become a supporter of the group, if even in the littlest of ways.

"My informants have told me that even now, Lloyd Irving and his group have been found attacking humans who seek to reclaim their homes. The destruction they cause will cost those towns thousands of gald and on top of that…" Jonathan crossed his arms smugly. "Lloyd's summon spirits are acting under _his_ order and attacking Izoold and Flanoir as we speak!"

"What?" Lyla stood up. "I haven't heard any such attacks!" She exclaimed.

Flanoir's representative frowned. "When did you hear this?"

"Does it matter? Why listen to a boy who performs such atrocious acts behind our backs? Can we even trust him?" Jonathan met Lloyd's shocked gaze. "Do you deny it?"

Lloyd grit his teeth and was trapped behind the man's words and he knew it.

"Unfortunately," Yuan stepped in. "We cannot confirm your…sources claims until further investigation can be conducted."

"Even being here, this Zaichar could be learning our every plan through the traitorous boy right now!" Ozette exclaimed.

At that moment, everyone broke out either supporting Lloyd or acting against him. Lloyd kept his eyes locked on the man responsible for the uproar and instantly saw the dark black and red aura swirling around him. _Dammit__ Zaichar. You just won't stop will you?_ Having found the weakest link in the council, Zaichar had probably found a way to control the man and meant to create even more friction within the leaders of the known world. _There's no other way he'd know about my summon spirits and about Asgard so soon. _

Kratos, Yuan, and the Arbitrator did the best they could controlling the group, but it seemed impossible.

_How can I rectify this?_ Lloyd wondered.

_They wish to question your loyalty and power. Show them you are not as weak as they believe you are. _Origin advised. _Show them you have not been swayed as the representative Jonathan has been._

Lloyd nodded and looked within him where the King of Summon Spirits lay dormant. "Origin come forth!" The rush of wind and appearance of the great summon spirit made most of the delegates rush to the back of the council hall.

"You see!" Jonathan shouted. "With his identity revealed, he has no choice but to be rid of all of us!"

"Listen to all of you! You're all so busy yelling at each other, you can't even hear the your neighbor's voice. What's worse…you can't even hear your own voices."

"What's important is that we don't listen to your lies!" Jonathan challenged.

Lloyd stared calmly at the man and said, "Origin."

The summon spirit nodded and disappeared. When he reappeared, he was behind Jonathan and the representative was lifted into the air by Origin's power. "Now, look at what truly is not to be trusted." Making it so even untrained eyes could see the darkness controlling Jonathan; a black hideous shadow appeared from behind Jonathan, making many of the women delegates shrieking in fear. "Corruption has indeed infiltrated this world council, but it is not in Lloyd."

"But can we do about this? We can't stand up to a force like that!" A random voice shouted from the crowd.

"What you have to ask yourself first is this: have the leaders and mayors of the villagers resorted to surviving off of rumors?" Lloyd asked the council.

Origin, performing a simple exorcizing spell, vanquished the dark shadow, freeing the man into a much needed unconsciousness. The man fell limp and summon spirit laid him gently on his desk.

"You turn to others to fix the problems, while you all just sit back and watch." Lloyd addressed. 'You know, I used to think just like you do. I used to think that following and protecting the Chosen of Mana was the only way I could save the world. And just like you…I was wrong. I wasn't helping at all; I was depending on her because I thought she was the only one who _could_ save the world. If you want to change anything, you must first change yourself."

"Salvation didn't come from one person alone. It came form nine: A lumberjack who learned to make her own decisions. A man who moved forward from a pain past in order to make a better future. A ninja who realized the true power within her. A scholar who…" Lloyd throat constricted a little, but he forced himself to continue. "A scholar who discovered blood doesn't dictate who we are…we do. A Chosen who learned the value of his own life and another Chosen, who learned to live life to the fullest with the one they were given. A little mage saw with his own eyes the courage it takes to stand up to your fears. A human who recaptured his humanity in order to save his son…and a son who discovered, he had a family all along. It wasn't an angel, a half-elf, a single Chosen, or even a human. It was all of us."

By the end of his speech, the room was silent with understanding. "And now we need all of you to work together to solve this problem and save the world once again. Not for yourselves, but for your neighbors and your children. If we give up now, and civil war breaks out, Zaichar will have his choice of victims to control and manipulate." He raised a fist. "We can't let that happen!"

A cheer broke out between the delegates and what followed will go down in history as the Great Compromise. Where everyone agreed they would not be tricked into fighting one another. They would stand together as one and fight with their combined power against one foe: Zaichar.


	21. The Fight For Redemption

The Fight For Redemption

"Dwarven Vow #27: A man is judged by his deeds, not by his words."

_While Lloyd fights his battles within the walls of __Meltokio__Castle__, those summon spirits still loyal to him are fighting battles of their own…_

_Izoold_

"Faster!" Sephie shouted. She and her sisters were twirling in a giant circle around Undine's three waterspouts, creating a powerful hurricane that spun in the opposite direction. Their goal was to tire the water goddess and make her cease her attacks. _Come on...come on..._ Sephie wanted the fight to end quickly so her friend wouldn't get hurt anymore.

As it seemed that Undine's power would continue, Sephie - as well as her sisters - felt a surge of power as Lloyd's confidence grew. "You have to believe, Undine!" Sephie exclaimed. "We've placed our faith in Lloyd because..."

" "He has faith in us!" " All three sisters of the wind shouted. Their strength overpowering Undine's, the water funnels slowed and fell back to the sea from which they were formed. Undine herself fell from the center of her funnel and would've disappeared below the waves had Fairess not acted quickly and thrown her shield to catch the water maiden.

All three sisters lowered down and slowly brought Undine back to shore. Gnome hopped forward and looked down upon his friend. "We all doubt our masters, even after they face the trials. But I've got a good feeling about this kid. He may just be what this world needs."

"Just as there are times when we summon spirits cannot control our emotions, perhaps it is true with the humans and their prejudice with one another." Yutis said aloud.

"But as we come to know the truth, so will the humans. They just need time." Sephie held out her hand.

Undine closed her eyes as she too began to pick up on Lloyd's change of heart. _If we give up now, and civil war breaks out, Zaichar will have his choice of victims to control and manipulate. We can't let that happen!_ "Yes, perhaps with _his_ guidance, the peace we all strive for will finally be obtained." Part of her knew it was a long shot, but if the Goddess Martel loved the humans enough that she would remain in the form of the Great Viscus Tree, then perhaps Undine could follow in her footsteps.

_Icy Meadows of Flanoir_

"Try this on for size!" Celcius formed a bow out of ice and fired off three of her famous ice arrows at the flaming Efreet.

Efreet simply laughed and let out a roar as more flame erupted around him, melting the arrows before they could make it to him. "When it's fire against ice, fire always wins." He laughed. From behind him, Efreet pulled out a large mace that had a ball and chain connected to it. The ball was one of the lava rocks from Efreet's temple and red-yellow flames remained lit around it, despite the rushing icy winds of the plains. "I tire of this game, Celcius. It's time I put your loud mouth in its place!" Efreet spun the chain and aimed his lava rock at the ice mistress.

Celcius moved to get out of the way, but the ball grazed her arm and she cried out, dropping the bow as her arm melted away like the ice that created it. "Damn it!" She grit her teeth in pain as she fell from the sky and landed in a heap in the now covered ground below. She lay unmoving for a moment, her body and mana almost completely wiped out. _If I can't calm Efreet down, Lloyd's gonna lock us away in the temple's again...just like Mithos. I don't want to go back there!_

Efreet lowered himself down and smirked. "You may have come here, thinking you could stop me, but I hope you realize now the extent of your power pales in comparison to mine."

"Think about the consequences of your actions, Efreet. You have always been a calm and wise spirit, knowing that power alone didn't make one strong. And that those who are stronger are meant to control the weak, but protect them. It is the way the weak grow strong, it is how our master grows strong. Lloyd looks to us for strength and support. And his people look to him. Don't let him down."

Efreet crossed his arms. "The Lloyd with whom I made a pact is no longer strong. Only us summon spirits can lead the people from their own demise." Narrowing his eyes, Efreet began to form a lava ball in front of him and right above Celcius' still lying form. "If you cannot see that, then you deserve to be the first to perish under my might."

As the ball got bigger, Celcius struggled to get to her feet. _Come on Lloyd. I need your strength to beat him!_ She begged her master. _And now we need all of you to work together to solve this problem and save the world once again. Not for yourselves, but for your neighbors and your children._ Celcius heard Lloyd's words and it made her think of her fellow summon spirits. _They're depending on me to bring back our friend. I can't give up now!_

As Efreet lowered her head and commanded the ball down upon Celcius, the ice mistress rolled out of the way, jumping to her feet as the ice where she had been lying melting and evaporated into mere steam. "I won't give up!" Holding the stump of her arm with her free hand, Celcius called upon the snow below Efreet and a cage of ice rose up surrounding Efreet's floating form.

"What?" Efreet enflamed his body once more, but the cold of the ice made his flame sputter out and die, leaving the cocky summon spirit out of juice and trapped within the freezing cold of Celcius' magic. "I...am defeated." He dropped to one knee, the cage supporting him in mid air.

As the cage lowered to the ground, Celcius walked slowly to the edges of the trapped summon spirit. "You haven't learned anything from last time, have you? Mithos thought power was the way to getting what he wanted, but Lloyd showed him, showed all of us, that sheer strength isn't the kind of power that's needed for ultimate peace…it's power of the heart that this torn world needs now. Lloyd has that power and because of that, so do we…as _his_ summon spirits."

Efreet clenched a fist, but Lloyd's tranquility calmed his inner fire and he looked up at his elemental opposite. "When did such a firestorm such as yourself…surpass me so completely in wisdom and strength?"

She laughed shortly and recalled her cage, the icy bars disappearing into the air as steam. "I was always this complex, you just decided to look past my crystal clear surface." When Efreet smiled and stood up to join her side, she knew the worst was over. Here they stood not as opposites, but as allies working towards the same cause, combining their newfound strength to become greater than anything before.

_Meltokio__Castle_

Exiting the castle, Lloyd turned to face everyone. "Okay guys, gather whatever gels, food, and equipment you think you'll need and we'll meet at the front gates in one hour. Remember, this time we're taking the fight to him and though we've got the element of surprise, it's still gonna be one of our toughest battles yet. Be ready for anything."

Everyone nodded and agreed, dispersing to the many shops in the surrounding town, leaving only Kratos and Yuan behind. The two seraphim angels exchanged looks and decided to take a walk in the tucked away Garden of the Goddess located on the castle's side, behind the noble's homes. It was open to the public and often used as an offering ground for the Goddess Martel. At present time, the modest yet neatly kept garden was deserted and left the angels to speak in peace and privacy.

"Do you believe the summon spirits will be able to control and bring reason to their own?" Yuan asked, walking down the path of the garden, waist high, square-cut hedges lining them on either side.

"I believe with Lloyd's growing confidence, the summon spirits will sense it as they sensed his anger, and know everything has been resolved." Kratos replied calmly to his friend. "You remember Mithos never did come out of his anger and need for closure concerning Martel. That is why we were forced to encase the summon spirit's power within the temples and seal them."

Speaking of the seals and of Martel made a small smile form on Yuan's face. So many things still reminded him of his last love, but this one was a happy memory. "Do you remember when Martel tripped on the rocky terrain surrounding Gnome's temple? She barely had a twisted ankle, yet Mithos insisted on keeping her out of harm's way."

Kratos indeed remembered. "He entrusted her to use and entered to face Gnome alone."

"But then again, he never had you join in the fights anyway." Yuan reminded his friend.

The former teacher ran a hand through his still unruly hair, remembering how disciplined Mithos was yet the youth still wanted to prove to everyone how strong he was. Completing the trial of the summon spirits was his way of showing his master, Kratos, that he could handle his own. Though the seasoned fighter always advised caution during battle, regardless of the strength of the opponent. "Mithos always felt he had something to prove."

Yuan stopped besides a small patch of blooming flowers and knelt besides them. They were a bright yellow with thin pointed petals, but it was the center that was most beautiful. White stripes melted with the maroon red and tiny dots of black. Yuan remembered buying Martel a bouquet of them because they were her favorite. As he fingered the fuzzy edges, Yuan thought back to that day. "Martel always was clumsy on her feet, but no matter how often she fell, she always felt just as guilty as the last." It was also at the moment, that Yuan felt it time to give his love a present...

_After Kratos had used his healing powers to lower the swelling on Martel's ankle, he quickly bandaged it up and offered to scout around for monsters and try to find some water until Mithos' return. That left Yuan alone with the wounded Martel._

_ "Oh, I hope Mithos is alright in there by himself!" The girl worried. "If Gnome is as difficult as Undine, poor Mithos could..."_

_ "Calm yourself Martel. Your brother has grown strong. With the training Sir Kratos has given him lately, I'm sure he's fine." Yuan assured her._

_ Martel's expression brightened and she smiled. "You always know the right thing to say to make me feel better, Yuan. I don't know what I'd do without you." She blushed._

_ "Well..." He placed his hand over hers. "That makes two of us." Yuan never tired of staring into Martel's clear emerald gaze. No matter how hard the constant traveling and fighting became, when he saw the pure innocence of Martel's inner soul, his faith in their cause was renewed. Because of course - she was the reason he joined Mithos on his journey. Being banished by her home village struck a heavy blow to the impressionable half-elf, but even then Martel was passionate that with enough effort and caring by a few individuals, others could be made to understand half-elves and everyone would live in peace. "Martel, there's something I've been wanting to ask you." He began._

_ Seeing his nervousness, her reply was, "You can ask me anything."_

_ Still keeping his left hand over hers, he reached into the pocket of his overcoat with his right and slowly, hesitantly, brought out the ring engraved with his never-ending love. Upon seeing it, Martel's free hand shot to her mouth and her eyes widened. "Martel, you mean the world to me. I can't imagine ever leaving your side...so please will you agree to marry me?"_

_ Her eyes watered up and she moved her hand to wrap around his neck in an enthusiastic hug. "Yes Yuan! Of course I will!"_

_ In his joy, he scooped her up and spun her around. He would have his wish and forever be joined with his beloved Martel..._

"Yuan." Kratos' voice broke his friend's concentration. "Do not force yourself to come if it is too painful for you."

"No, I must go." Yuan insisted. "I won't deny the fact that part of me still seeks revenge against Martel's murderer, but besides that they need us. Saving the world did not change the fact that they are still children. Despite my personal vendetta, I would not allow you or your son to face this alone."

Kratos smiled and placed a hand on Yuan's shoulder. "Thank you, my friend. I pray my dear Anna can protect Lloyd when I cannot. I already lost him once. I couldn't bear to have it happen again."

"And you won't. Together...we will succeed."

Gauracchia Forest 

Luccia lay open-eyed besides Kamai, still unable to sleep. The quarrels of the nearby villages had already left three half-elf children without family. They were brought in by Kamai, starving and barely alive. Besides elemental magic, Luccia learned the ability to cook food with healing abilities. The only problem was it took longer to take effect than traditional healing arts would have. Unfortunately that was something Luccia lacked in. The children would live, but even now they needed constant supervision.

Sighing Luccia got out of bed, being sure not to wake Kamai up, and quietly crept into the next room. It was here Luccia insisted the three be kept so she could attend to their healing. Two of them looked around six or seven, a boy and a girl, and in their care had been a mere infant. They were probably all from the same family, but Luccia wouldn't know for sure until they woke up.

The infant lay sleeping silently and nearby were the two older ones. The boy held onto the girl, even in her sleep, and the elven elemental could tell he was very protective of her.

As Luccia pulled up the covers and tucked it under their chins, a soft melody reached her sensitive ears and it made her gasp in shock. Walking to the window, she opened the shutters and summoned wind around her to rise to the roof, where she knew her visitor awaited.

Sure enough he stood there with his back to her, still draped in the brown robe from before. He did not say anything as she landed behind him, but it was Luccia who had something to say.

"You were right." She admitted. Intrigued, the man turned to face her, though his features remained hidden in shadow. In his hand was saw the linkite tree flute she'd heard earlier. "They did come...and they led me to him. I should not have doubted you." This cloaked figure had come to Luccia once before, while she was still imprisoned beneath the Tower of Mana. He had told her to remain strong, to not lose hope, but even as she saw Kratos enter the laboratory, she attacked him - not believing the stranger's words.

"It that is true, then I have only one thing to ask: Do you trust me now?" The man asked the elf.

She bowed her head. "Yes. If there is anything you need, please ask." Luccia looked up and on the inside, she wished to know the identity of the man before her, but also respected his privacy. She knew in these unsteady times, some people needed to stay hidden from society. As she regarded him, she noticed his shoulders naturally slumped, as if he were carrying the weight of the world. Whatever this man's past, it was something very painful and his spirit seemed at its limits despite his outward composure.

"The people are gathering at the Point of Rebirth in order to pay homage to the Goddess Martel." The name made Luccia's eyes widen fractionally. "As the last of your people, when the time comes, I need you to…"

"Say no more." She cut him off with a low bow. "I will be there."

The man was silent for a moment and the elven woman wondered if her immediate approval somehow caught him off guard. The moment lasted only a few seconds and he quickly recovered, spinning around towards the far end of the roof. "Thank you." Another pause, this one longer than the first. "I doubt we shall meet again. Farewell." Then he leapt off the roof into the enveloping darkness of the forest.

"Goodbye." Luccia whispered quietly. The actions of the stranger were left a mystery to the elemental, as well as his motives. She wondered what drove such an individual to these great lengths and if in the end, he would find the happiness that so seemed to elude him. She hoped so. _May the Goddess Martel always catch over you._

_Meltokio_

Carbuncle hopped onto one of the nearby benches and shook out her fur, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. "I can't _believe_ I had to stay in that stuffy room during your meeting again!" The little guardian spirit fumed.

Zelos laughed as her fur stood on end, making her look even more like a stuffed animal. "Oh come on. You wouldn't have had fun in there anyway."

Ears holding back against her head as she growled, Carbuncle looked like she was gonna rip poor Zelos apart. "That's not the point! How about I lock _YOU_ up in a room and see how you like it?"

Zelos scoffed and raised his hands behind his head. "As long as I'm in there with beautiful women, it's…" He stopped when he noticed Sheena glaring at him and smiled nervously. "I mean, as long as I have my gorgeous Sheena with me, it's all good."

Sheena shook her head, but smiled at how nervous he instantly got when he thought he was in trouble with her. "What am I gonna do with you?" Carbuncle ran up Sheena's back and perched on her shoulder, sticking out her tongue. "To be honest, I'm not really sure Meltokio's gonna have the cards I need. I already have Acalanatha, there's not much else more powerful. I think I'll just have to stop by the Belteon for some food."

"I know what you mean." Zelos admitted. "My sword's good, but I think I can get a better shield. My teachers always said 'the best warrior is only as good as his best defense'."

"Okay." Sheena agreed. "Let's head over to the Trupelos."

_You know you're only prepared for this battle because of me. _Shinji teased.

Zelos frowned. _Yeah, speaking of which, you and me gotta have ourselves a little talk._ The former Chosen replied mentally. _That little stunt you pulled at Sybak? That ain't gonna fly with me. If you want my help, you got it, but let me do the fighting._

_ I know and I am deeply sorry._ The spirit was quiet as he remembered his love, the image of her happy face still as clear as the day he met her._ Saitou recognized my influence and technique and provoked me into that fight. I should not have been goaded so easily._ He berated himself.

_Whoa, whoa, now wait. I understand it's gotta be hard. When Colette lost her soul and refused to talk to anyone, Lloyd took it pretty hard. He tried to get through to her time and time again, but it was no use._ Zelos explained._ He doesn't know this, but one night I aught him taking out his frustrations on one of the trees near camp. Poor kid punched that bark until his hands were stripped raw, and the whole time he just beat himself up for allowing Colette to become such a lifeless being._

_ I still remember her vacant expression and the hollowness of her gaze. I was never worthy of being her protector. If only I had…_

_ Stop right there._ The warrior interrupted. _Lloyd thought the same and you're both wrong. No matter what protection the __Chosen__ had, Mithos and the desians were hell bent on reviving Martel for their own selfish reasons. The lengths you've gone and the strength of you soul proves how much you love her. No matter where she is now, she knows that. So don't feel bad._

_…Thank you Zelos. You are indeed a wise and great warrior. Sheena is lucky to have you watching over her._ Shinji replied.

Zelos' ego inflated with pride. _Why, thank you for noticing._ Almost walking into the door of the armory, the warrior smiled nervously as Sheena raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Not wanting to bring up the fact that he'd been talking with the spirit again, because honestly at this point Sheena didn't seem to believe him anymore, Zelos quickly opened the door and let both the ninja and guardian spirit in before him.

The shopkeeper seemed surprised to see such a celebrity enter his modest little shop, and quickly ceased his dusting to give his full attention to Zelos and his companion, who by the way, he noticed was very well _endowed_ and the former Chosen was a lucky man indeed. "Great Zelos! How might I help you?" His overly cheery voice asked.

"Just in for an upgrade if you've got anything good." Zelos replied nonchalantly.

" "Zelos!"" Both Sheena and Carbuncle berated. "Sorry about him. We came here to see if you had a strong shield available." The ninja continued.

The man thought about it carefully, but in the end sighed. "I'm afraid most of the supplies I carry here are lower grade than you must be used to." Then he remembered something that had been dropped off the other day. "Actually, come to think of it, I think I might have one to your liking, Chose- I mean Great Zelos."

As the keep ran into the back to fetch the shield, Sheena crossed her arms and gave Zelos that look. "What?" He said in his own defense. "I'm not _forcing_ him to say that, besides you can't expect everyone to change from the way things were so quickly."

When the man returned, he held up what he hoped would please the former Chosen. "Here it is! It was delivered two days ago, but I haven't had time to place it on display just yet." Passing it to Sheena he said, "It gives the wearer extra defense again fire and darkness by incorporating obsidian and jade into the design and also spreads any magical attack aimed at it in a far wider arc around the wearer than any other shield. It's called the Dark Star Shield."

Sheena passed it to Zelos and he equipped it on his arm and experimentally moved it around. "Well? We can definitely afford it, but what do you think?"

Zelos brought his arm back down and shrugged. "The green clashes with my style a little bit…"

" "Zelos!""

"_But_ I suppose I'll have to go for practicality over fashion _this_ time." He finished when both girls looked ready to pounce on him. "We'll take it."

Even the shopkeeper looked nervous as he nodded. "O-of course. It'll be just a moment."

Zelos and Sheena were the last the join the group in front of Meltokio. As soon as they were there, Lloyd handed him a square metal box with a few buttons and small pole sticking up at the top. "Take this. I've got one too. It's just like the communication device Yuan has with the Renegades, but travel size. Colette and myself managed to pick it up at the Research institute. This way if anything happens, let the other group know. Remember to keep in touch. If you're discovered and outnumbered: retreat. We know where they're at now, so if they bail, the Renegades can track 'em."

Addressing everyone next, Lloyd stepped back, "We go in two waves. My group will go in first. With any luck, even if we're discovered, it'll pull his troops to one side of the island, giving you guys a clear entrance. If all goes as planned, we'll share intelligence and decide where the best point of entry is."

Raising his arm above his head, Lloyd called out, "Aska! Come forth!" The giant two headed Bird of Light appeared besides the group and awaited its master's orders. "Wait here with Zelos and the gang. When we're out of sight in the horizon, take them to Katz Island. Got it?"

Aska bowed its heads, confirming the order.

Presea watched Lloyd summon his wings and take off with the other angels, not exactly thrilled with his plan. "Why must we separate? Even if we are caught, wouldn't having everyone together give us a higher rate of success?" She asked Regal.

"Lloyd is attempting to create a plan based not on success rates, but on survival. He doesn't want to lose anybody else." The experienced man replied.

Presea thought she was beginning to get the idea and sort of understood how basing one's decisions on success and on the protection of those involved could be difficult. "He is not the same Lloyd we met here almost a year ago."

"No, he is not." Regal agreed. "He has grown up quite a bit. I'm sure Kratos is proud."

The seemingly little girl nodded. "We all are."

_Zaichar's Fortress_

"Why do you insist on waiting in the shadows when we could be destroying these pathetic humans and half-elves! It matters not _how_ we do it. They ALL deserve to perish!" Omega's voice reverberated in Zaichar's vast private chambers. "Especially that accused Origin!"

"Origin is not whom we're fighting. Not directly anyway. If we destroy Lloyd, I will inherit all the summon spirits and the people will beg for mercy at my feet!" Zaichar laughed as if his plan had already come to pass.

Omega clenched his fists and roared with rage. "I am more than powerful enough for your puny little schemes! You don't need Origin!"

Zaichar got to his feet from his throne and approached the Summon Spirit of Death without fear. "When I get the power I need, I will destroy the Viscus Tree! Won't that be enough to satisfy your thirst for revenge?" The Dark Lord asked. "By the way, why do you hate her so?"

"_That_ is between me and her. But I swear this: she _will_ pay for her treachery."

_Over the skies where Tethe'alla Bridge used to stand_

Lloyd led his group quietly and quickly, but always looked behind him to see how everyone fared. He didn't doubt Kratos and Yuan could've flown much faster, but still the two older angels kept pace with Lloyd, flying on either side of Colette, who flew directly behind the half-angel. Colette was the one Lloyd was worried about. If the coming battle was going to be as difficult as he believed, Lloyd would've preferred to have Colette stay behind in Meltokio. But he knew the devoted girl would be stubborn and remain by his side no matter what he said. Looking at her for a brief moment, he quickly realized she wasn't tired in the least and turned his attention back to the horizon.

Omega would be Lloyd's biggest feat. Zaichar wasn't any different from Mithos, so Lloyd was pretty confident that had the dark elf attempted to fight Lloyd and his companions with his own strength, they would prevail. But the summon spirit of death gave the half-angel many more reasons to doubt and worry. _Hey Origin._ Lloyd asked within him. _If Omega's a summon spirit, why does he hate you so much? I thought you guys all got along. Is he your elemental opposite or something?_

That's part of it, but his hatred for me burns for another reason as well… 

Kratos looked down and saw the sunlight reflecting off the waters, creating a shine that even the angels could pick up from their height. Lloyd's earlier decisions came as a shock to the angel, even if he acknowledged his son's growing traits as a leader. The youth had taken into account aspects even Kratos hadn't considered. True the boy had probably spent more time thinking about the final battle, but Kratos couldn't help but smile nonetheless. _We really did something when we had him, didn't we Anna?_

Just then a particular aura caught Kratos' attention and it made his flight pattern falter. He quickly recovered, but it was enough to make his ever-observant friend notice.

"Kratos?" Yuan asked worriedly.

The call made everyone stop and turn to the angel as he too stopped his flight.

When he didn't answer, Colette cupped her hands the way she always did when she was worried. "Kratos?"

_This feeling…_ "Lloyd, keep going without me. I'll meet you at the island later."

"Dad?" Lloyd was about to protest, but stopped. He knew he could trust his father to be there for him when he needed him most. "Alright."

"L-Lloyd!" Colette exclaimed. "You don't mean…"

"He'll be fine. But we've got to hurry." Lloyd gently took Colette and starting flying towards the East of the far off island."

Yuan stayed a moment more, but as he saw Kratos' distant gaze, he knew whatever pulled him away now must've been very important. "Don't be late, Kratos." He said, then followed Lloyd and Colette.

Kratos gave a half smile. "Don't let him out of your sight either, Yuan." Then he flew off towards the East. He wasn't sure if what he felt was the same, but if it was, he desperately needed to speak with the individual. Not too far away, he saw a tall flat mesa that jetted up above the ground and upon it stood a cloaked figure…but this time he wasn't alone…

Landing maybe three yards behind him, Kratos stood silent and recalled his wings. "It's you…" He voiced. Indeed it was the same person who'd told him about Zaichar's intentions to kidnap Lloyd. Had Kratos not been sent back, Lloyd would probably be in the dark elf's clutches right now. "I am grateful to you for saving my son's life."

When he said this, the three the figure had been speaking to stepped out from behind the man as he turned to face the angel. There were three children and they all resembled people Kratos knew well. "It can't be."

"These are not the mortals you know of Kratos." The cloaked figure explained, indicating the children of Luccia, Martel and Kratos himself. "These are the celestial beings responsible for overlooking the destinies of every single creature of this earth. Some may call them the Fates."

The boy Kratos crossed his arms as he gazed intently at the older version of himself. "The past is where we learn to better ourselves."

Young Martel nodded. "The present allows us time to reflect on our mistakes, so that we may change."

Luccia interlaced her fingers just below her chin. "The future is where we are given another chance. To use our knowledge to better others as well as ourselves and our surroundings."

Lightheartedly, the man said, "They seemed to have tagged along to keep on eye on me as I strive to correct _my_ mistakes." Lifting his hands to the brim of his hood, the figure finally pulled back the cloth and Kratos couldn't have been more shocked.

"No…how is this possible?" Standing before him was a person who resembled none other than Kratos' son Lloyd himself, though the one before him now seemed a little older somehow. The same look of fatigue from battle reflected in Lloyd's eyes that Kratos recognized from himself. _This cannot be Lloyd, unless…_ "The…Eternal Sword?"

Lloyd nodded. "The future you'll experience is nothing compared to what would've been and might still be should you fail in destroy Zaichar here. You see, I've come back to alter certain events that Zaichar's generals interfered with."

"Events?"

Knowing a detailed explanation was in order, Lloyd broke it down, "When Sheena left to find the cure for Zelos, Megami killed the storyteller and because of this Sheena would come back empty handed." Kratos was clearly surprised by this. "As a result, he didn't make it to morning."

"Was…part of what you changed…me?" The angel asked slowly, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

Lloyd nodded nonetheless, knowing this is what Kratos needed to hear. "Zaichar kidnapped me and the darkness within me grew." Closing his eyes as his malicious acts resurfaced, Lloyd forced himself to continue. "Little Genis, consumed by the death of the Professor, was lured over by Megami and for a while, we fought alongside – not against – Zaichar."

Looking up into the eyes of the father he'd not seen in years, Lloyd withheld his tears. "You tried to save me, as did Colette, but you both…fell by the same blades I once save _you_ with."

Kratos knew he was in shock, but tried to take in all the information anyways. "Lloyd, have you indeed changed the future?"

The boy who'd seen too much death and destruction, most of it by his own hand, looked away sadly. "There are things even those with the power of time cannot change."

"Spirits that were meant to pass over, must still continue their cycle of life, no matter how short it appears to be." Martel spoke up.

"Zelos was meant to live, while Raine was meant to die." Little Kratos added.

Luccia looked up sadly at Kratos. "But you…"

"Me?"

Lloyd looked back at the angel. "Though I've managed to save lives, I could not save one of the ones that meant the most." He said. "Kratos, you will perish at the same time as when I…" Lloyd clenched his fists. "The method may change, but the Lloyd you know will have to get used to not having you by his side. That's all."

The youth's voice cracked in the same manner as when he'd explained his reasons for allowing Kratos to live in the first place after their battle at Origin's seal.

"I tell you think only because I want you to live what life you have to its fullest. Do not look at your past with regret any longer. Mom wouldn't have wanted you to survive like that. To become a lifeless being when you didn't have to be, but you made yourself into that which you fought so long to prevent."

Kratos now also looked away in shame. "I feel its been so long since I've had a family, that it will always feel foreign to me now."

"Trust me, it won't. In time, you will remember those happy times you still hold deep within your heart and they will be what set you free. Times with Anna and little me in that house near Lake Umacy."

Kratos didn't know what to think as he was being told all of these things, but slowly rose his head back up and met his son's gaze. "I understand. What about you? Will you return to your time?"

Lloyd shook his head. "When I used the Eternal Sword, Origin told me I would be forced to stay here. There is already an Eternal Sword existing here and there cannot be two. I came here knowing it was a one-way trip. It is also why Mithos could not use the sword to save Martel. But Kratos…you cannot tell your Lloyd about me. Just as I am restricted from coming face to face with him, so is it that he cannot know of my existence or the altered future. Do you understand?"

Kratos nodded. "I do." Knowing he couldn't stay for long and that his son needed him, Kratos called out his wings and took off as fast as he could to Katz Island.

Lloyd watched him go and smiled with a sigh. "Good luck…Dad."


	22. Fall of the Damned

Fall of the Damned

"Dwarven Vow #20: A man may be his own ruin."

_Katz Island – Zaichar's Base - Westside_

The forest was thicker than Lloyd expected, so flying through it proved difficult. Halfway through, Lloyd dropped down to ground level, along with Colette and Yuan, and snuck in towards the building while evading as many scouts as possible. Whoever they couldn't get around Yuan knocked out for them. Most were dark angels anyway, but with all the experiments Zaichar was doing, Lloyd didn't want to kill anyone until it was discovered they couldn't be saved. The base wasn't too hard to find. To the angelic senses, the building stuck out a like a sore thumb with its negative mana signature.

The walls were deep black and as they neared it, Lloyd shook his head in discomfort. "Man, my head's killing me. What's going on?"

Ducking behind some brush, Yuan motioned with his head towards the structure. "Polycarbonate. Protects against magic but has side effects to those with mana sensitivity, like us."

"Will this cause problems when it comes to casting our spells?" Colette asked quietly.

"It shouldn't. It's meant as protection from outside magic spells. If we get pulled into battle, aim for your opponent only. If magic hits the walls, it may be absorbed or repelled, depending on the type of spell. Also, don't ever touch it or get cornered against it. Upon contact, it'll act like a sponge and suck all the mana right out of you. So be careful."

Both teens nodded, understanding the severity of the situation. Should either lose their mana during a fight, they would be easy prey without the ability to protect themselves. "Okay. Yuan, what do you see?"

The seraphim angel nodded and looked out over the terrain. At first glance, the base looked two stories, but Yuan knew better. Underground were probably three more floors and hidden rooms. There was one scout that he could see, a dark angel, standing watch from a balcony on the second level. "Okay, there's one so far…" He stopped as a door on the side opened and two dark elf soldiers walked out. "Clear." One gurgled after looking around lazily.

"No one here." The other said.

Yuan was about to report when Lloyd nodded. "Okay, so far so good."

The older angel blinked, while Colette smiled happily. "Wow Lloyd, you heard that?"

Yuan agreed. "You've really come into your skills quickly."

Lloyd winked and smirked. "Dad's a good teacher."

Yuan laughed shortly. "That he is."

"Colette, take out the scout." The half-angel commanded.

The girl nodded and pulled out her chakrams. Using her enhanced sight, Colette aimed and threw her weapon silently through the air. It spun and struck the angel doll right across the throat. Clutching its severed windpipe as black blood dropped down across its fingers, he fell without a sound as Colette's weapon flew back to its mistress. The two dark elves were left completely unaware and continued to stand guard by the door.

"Good job, Colette." Lloyd nodded. "Now it's me and Yuan's turn. Come on!" Jumping out of the brush, Lloyd rushed towards the guards, the seraphim at his side.

One of the elves turned and barely let out a gasp before Yuan came crashing down with his butterfly blade. In one swift spin of his weapon, the creature had lost an arm and part of his face hung off the bone. Yuan used the momentum of the move to spin himself around and land a kick to the elf's head. He went down quietly into the forest floor and Lloyd's opponent fell limply on top of him. Colette rushed up when it was safe and Lloyd raised his walkie-talkie. "Zelos, it's clear on this side and we've got one door heading inside. How are you guys doing on your end?"

_Zaichar's__ Base – Eastside_

"Um, let me get back to you on that." Zelos replied unsurely.

"We are far outmatched." Presea said calmly, yet apprehensively from Regal's side.

"We did not know he'd created this many." The politician commented.

Sheena was gapping at the sight. "And so quickly! Didn't you guys say you wiped out his forces at the Renegade Base?"

"For the most part." Presea said. "Some got away."

"But not this many." Genis shook his head. Genis hadn't been present for that particular battle, but knew Zaichar wouldn't have retreated with so many troops remaining. "Lloyd's not gonna like this."

As Megami inspected her troops from the ground, Saitou floated above her – inspecting his own ranks. Many of them were the same mindless dolls Mithos had used during his "rule", but others were transformed dark angels – like Saitou himself – and the general took pride at their advancement. Around their ranks were a kind of metal choker, a collar if you will. It was a power enhancer. Just like polycarbonate was used during the Great Kharlan War to protect against magic, so was Onyxalate, mined by the dwarves and elves to increase their strength and spells. It had taken this long to refine it and forge it, but the dwarven slaves had finally finished the first batch.

Dwarves could be stubborn, but with enough…_convincing_, even they could be made to obey. And of course despite the fact that the short-statured craftsman were being forced to aide the enemy, their pride prevented them from making faulty work.

Looking down at the elven ranks, Saitou met Megami's eyes and smirked. The dark elf narrowed her eyes and growled from her position on the ground. It had been Saitou's troops, not Megami's, that had been granted the power enhancers. This caused a grudge to form between the two generals, but Saitou could care less. He knew his troops were more valuable to Lord Zaichar than that witch's. More power meant superiority and Megami would have to learn her new place.

While Saitou was basking in the rays of self glory, he caught the presence of…an old _friend_ and flashed his eyes back and forth until he caught sight of Zelos' bold hair in the dark of the foliage.

"Dammit! He's seen us!" Zelos cursed.

Sheena already had her cards out, her guardian staying quiet but poised at her side. "What are we gonna do?"

Genis grabbed the walkie-talkie and pushed the button to speak. "Lloyd, we've got problems!"

Next to the door on the other side, Lloyd heard his friends go into battle with Zaichar's forces.

"He's gathered a huge army over here!" Genis' voice came over the communications device. "Get over here now!"

"Here they come!" Sheena shouted.

"Eagle fall!"

"We will not last long in these conditions…"

"Leave Megami alone! She's mine!" The walkie-talkie went quiet and Lloyd was squeezing the metal box so hard, he could've broken it in half.

"Lloyd?" Colette asked worriedly.

"Dammit…" Lloyd was quiet for a moment.

Yuan called out his wings and look to Lloyd. "I will go and aide them. You continue on and find Zaichar."

"No." Lloyd shook his head and got to his feet. "We've got to go on." Turning to Colette he said, "I need you to go and look after Genis."

"Huh?" The girl was at a loss. "What about you?"

"Yuan and I will continue on inside. I need you to make sure Genis doesn't…"

Despite the fact she wanted to remain by Lloyd's side, she knew what he meant and understood her role. "You can count on me." She assured him. Taking to the air, she headed across the island towards where her friends fought.

"Are you sure sending her alone will be enough?" Yuan asked.

Lloyd sighed and pocketed the walkie-talkie. "Of course, my first instinct was to go over there myself. But if we tire ourselves out fighting an unknown amount of Zaichar's soldiers, we'll be all but useless when it comes to fighting him. Defeat him and we can deal with his underlings afterwards. I would've kept Colette too, but Genis is still recovering from Professor Sage's death and if I can't be there to help him, I know Colette will keep him on the straight and narrow." The boy explained.

Yuan recalled his wings and smirked. "Spoken like a true leader. But what about Kratos?"

"He'll be here. We'll just have to keep moving until he catches up. Come on." Lloyd opened the door and moved quietly into the darkness…

_Inside Zaichar's Throne Room_

A dark angel entered the throne room from one of the few windows. "Master! Intruders have been caught on the east side of the island! Megami and Saitou's forces are engaging as we speak."

Omega crossed his arms from Zaichar's right side. "It's Origin. His master and his companions are here. I can sense it."

"Really? Perhaps my campaign will be able to take off sooner than expected." Zaichar smirked. "Keep me reported if anything else happens." He told his servant.

Omega waited until the dark angel disappeared once more and tightened his mighty hands into fists. "Are you still going on about that? Origin must die or our pact is void. Lose me and you lose this war." The summon spirit of death wanted only to destroy Origin and Martel with him. Anything else was frivolous in comparison.

"Don't worry. That foolish boy will seek me out and once I destroy him, I will use Origin's power to conquer this world. When I am finished, you may have your way with him." Zaichar assured.

Omega narrowed his eyes. "You had better keep your word or it will be you I unleash my power of death on next." The summon spirit promised in return. _But perhaps it is time I take my own measures to ensure victory._

_Zaichar's__ Base – Eastside_

Genis held his kendama tightly and kept both sapphire eyes locked on his target. Megami stood still, claws hands poised for battle. The little half elf was mad, but he remembered to stay focused and not let the anger control him. "Megami, your manipulating ways end here."

Smirking, the sorceress relaxed and placed on hand on her hip. "Are you mad, little mage? Does your blood not boil for revenge?" She asked coyly.

Genis shook his head. "I won't be taken in by your false words, Megami. The evil that was placed upon my heart has lost its hold and I make my own decisions now."

"The evil is still there, whispering into your ear when you sleep. You need only to listen and it will grant you everlasting wisdom and power." She continued.

Nodding solemnly, he knew she was right. "I understand that now, but I don't have to do what it says. My sister Raine told me to listen to my heart…and it's telling me: that I control my own destiny!"

"Your sister, yes I remember her. She was that interfering half breed that interrupted our last conversation. Good riddance I say." Megami knew with just enough taunting, the boy's anger would reawaken the darkness within him and he would be as good as theirs.

Forcing his muscles to relax, Genis took a deep breath to calm himself and closed his eyes. As the wind blew, he could feel his sister's presence spinning around him, guiding him down the path of light…just like she promised. "No." Opening his eyes, he met Megami's eerie silver orbs. "I'll _never_ join you."

Laughing, Megami began advancing on the lone half elf. "What made you think you had a choice? Lord Zaichar will rule every inch of this planet you weaklings hold so dear and not one insect will escape his wrath…it's your choice. Serve him or die by Omega's wrath. Besides, what chance do you have against me…when you're all alone?" Hissing, she leapt the last of the distance and unable to gather his mana in time to cast a counter spell, Genis winced and prepared for the hit.

"Angel feathers!" Out of the sky, Colette swung her chakrams and released her powerful pink mana, striking the unsuspecting dark elf. Shrieking in pain, Megami barely had enough strength to leap back to safety and avoid the angel-girl's follow up attack. "Stay away from him, Megami!"

"Colette!" Genis exclaimed when she landed next to him.

Megami wiped the black blood from the corner of her mouth and grit her teeth in anger. The wound cut across her stomach and would make moving harder. "Even two children are no match for me!"

Colette stood tall next to Genis and held her chakrams up in a defensive position. "We've been friends a long time and I know Genis is more than strong enough to take care of you!"

"C-Colette…" Genis was shocked and at a loss of words. "What are you doing here?"

Without taking her eyes off Megami, Colette replied. "Friends look out for each other. No matter what."

Smiling, Genis felt more confident by the moment and stood ready besides Colette. "Ready for this?"

"Guess we'd better be, huh?" She replied lightly, then rushed into battle…together with her friend.

Presea ran at Regal's exposed back and when he bent over, she leapt onto him and was shot into the air when he stood up. Raising her ax above her head, she met the dark angel sorcerer's eyes and pulled her ax down. The slice struck through his body and without a host to constrain the dark mana, the energy melted into the air as a black mist – leaving only a mere husk of a body left. From behind her though, an angel guard slammed her golden pike against Presea's back, tearing open a gash and slammed the girl back into the ground.

"Presea!" Regal exclaimed, running over to her and blocking the guard's next strike. "You will not harm her!" He shouted, spinning his foot around to meet with his opponent's head. The blow indented the guard's helmet and a final crack let Regal know that the soldier would not be trouble anytime soon.

Saitou, the dark angel general, smirked as his future victim stood side by side with the ninja female. Tilting his head to the side, he regarded the two carefully. "The bodies may have changed, but it's the same battle we fought almost a century ago. I have to admit, though, this one does have more spunk than the last one."

Zelos looked over at Sheena then back at Saitou. "Nice try, but there are two things I think you should know. One is: she's already mine so get whatever perverted thoughts you have out of your head."

"Zelos!" Sheena exclaimed.

"Secondly," he continued. "That ploy ain't gonna work on me. This is nothing personal; it's business. To me you're just a big asshole who needs to be put in his place."

Saitou narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth. "Then you are just another pest to be rid of!" Shooting down, Saitou raised his staff and would've landed a deadly blow to the cocky warrior, but both Zelos and Sheena jumped back to safety. Rocks and dust were blown out in all directions. Carbuncle lowered her head and wrapped both Zelos and Sheena in one red-hued shield for extra protection.

_Wow he's fast!_ Zelos thought as his wings appeared behind him. The new, large crystalline wings made Saitou's assault falter for a moment at the sight, before he was ready for a fight once more. _I've gotta get him away from Sheena._ Taking to the skies Zelos called out, "Hey, from what I hear you're nothing but Zaichar's lapdog!"

"What?" Saitou fumed, rushing towards his opponent.

"Zelos!" Sheena exclaimed in worry. Turning away, her love disappeared into the forest – his dangerous and powerful enemy fast on his trail. "Dammit! Let's go Carbuncle!" She clenched her cards and ran after the duo on the floor. _Zelos__, you idiot! Stop trying to protect me and let me help you! One of these days you're going to get yourself killed going gung-ho like this!_ She thought.

_Inside Zaichar's Castle_

Lloyd kept himself as close to the walls of the passageways as he could without touching them and carefully looked around the corner for any sign of guards. He frowned when there were none and looked back to Yuan who was checking down another hall. The Renegade leader also shook his head. _Keep your senses alert. Omega is around here somewhere…I can sense it._ Origin warned his master.

_Great, if you can sense him then he already knows we're here._ Lloyd replied with a roll of his eyes.

Yuan joined his side and crouched down. "Everyone has been sent off their posts to join the fight outside." He said.

"Or that's how they want it to look like." Came the youth's reply. The passageway ended in one black double door with silver bolts lining the edges. After silently nodding to each other, both opened a door and jumped through.

The room was vast with very little light and no other visible doors. Both were cautious as they walked forward towards the center of the room. As soon as Lloyd took one step onto the black reflective tile, he felt his body jolt with an unknown change in power and he struggled to merely raise his head. His body instantly felt weak and sweat formed on his temples. As he took in deep breathes, a low resonating laughter reached his ears.

"How the might have fallen. You walked right into my trap, human. Here it is just you and me." Omega materialized before the youth and crossed his two pairs of arms smugly. "My human host was inadequate enough to complete my mission, so I've…taken care of him." Below Omega, lying unconscious on the floor below, was Zaichar's unmoving form.

Lloyd dropped down to one knee and grit his teeth to look Omega in the eye. "W-where are we?"

"This is where the soul crosses over into the afterlife. Here, where death reigns…your Origin has no power. You cannot defeat me and there is no escape."

As he said this, Lloyd fell to his hands and knees and closed his eyes shut. _I…I can't give up! But…there's no one here. I knew I would have to face him alone, but it's a fight I'm not sure I can win!_

Omega reached behind him and unsheathed his swords. "Here I will destroy your host and trap you within the dimensions, Origin. Here is where I defeat you once and for all."

At first Lloyd's slightly shaking body said nothing, but then a laughter could be heard and the voice that came out was not his, but a deeper more confidence tone. "Your plan might have worked, Omega, except for one major detail _you_ overlooked." Raising his head, Lloyd's eyes opened and there were no pupils but a pure white light shone brightly. "My master and I have formed a bond you could never break and it's because of this bond that I have retained my connection." Origin said, speaking through Lloyd. The youth stood up and unsheathed his two swords.

Omega moved back fractionally, shocked that his nemesis was able to cross over with the boy instead of being left behind in the real world. He had hoped that destroying Lloyd would make Origin cease to exist. Normally when a summoner was killed, Origin was freed to form a new pact and in essence not killed with his host. Here, Omega expected to kill the host with Origin still bound, but separated and unable to defend Lloyd. "Damn you Origin! Even if you have survived, you cannot possibly be at full strength. Here I will still defeat you!" Omega rushed forward and came down hard upon his elemental opposite.

Origin, in Lloyd's body, raised his two swords but was forced to his knees by barely attempting to deflect the strike. White eyes met deep black and for a moment, Origin doubted his success. Omega had been smart in luring Lloyd here. Omega was only as powerful as he was because he drew his strength from others around him, their life forces empowered him and in the real world there was no end to his supply. But here, where no life existed at all, Origin's only draw of strength came from Lloyd himself. He was Origin's anchor and his only hope to defeating Omega on this plain.

"Lloyd, do you sense anything? I'm not picking up any life signatures at all…" When the angel got no response, he frowned and turned around. "Lloyd?" But the youth was no where to be seen. "Lloyd!" Only his voice echoed back to him.

Lloyd's body was thrown back as Omega released another power strike from his swords. Origin's power was waning and Lloyd's human body couldn't take much more. But then the summon spirit remembered. Lloyd was a half-angel and because of that… Standing up, Origin dove deep within Lloyd's consciousness: _Lloyd! Use the power of the cruxis crystal! We need your angelic form if we're even going to stand a chance against Omega!_

The youth responded and behind Omega, Lloyd's multicolored wings spread out on either side of him. His aura exploded with power and before Omega could react, Origin shot into the air and slashed twice with each of his swords, batting the summon spirit of death right out of the air.

Omega was almost slammed into the ground, but spun to land on his feet and stood there calmly with a smirk. "You put up a good fight, Origin, but in the end it is useless!" His swords disappearing in a flash, Omega pulled back both sets of arms and black-red swirling energy balls began to form on each side. "Here you die!" Shooting both blasts forward, the two balls crisscross multiple times until they ran straight into Lloyd. Without enough power to erect a barrier, the attack was devastating and Lloyd's wings were ripped to shreds along with the rest of his body. The edges of the wounds dripped with Omega's black essence and the youth fell into the ground in an unrecognizable heap. "I've done it! Origin, you are no more!"

Yuan ran back towards the door and tried to see if Lloyd had been dragged out, when a force field reared its ugly head and the angel warrior was thrown back into the center of the room. "A barrier?" He exclaimed, getting to his feet. "Then Lloyd is…" Finally piecing together what happened, Yuan held his butterfly sword up in the air and blue mana began charging up around his body. "Hang on, Lloyd! I'll get you out!" Spinning around, Yuan threw his sword at the opened door and carrying with it the angel's mana, the shield electrified with resistance before shattering into pieces.

All around where the shield was now visible, it all flickered and died away. Above him, the form of Omega materialized and on the ground was the broken body of Lloyd. "No!" Yuan exclaimed unbelieving.

Omega laughed and hefted one of his swords nonchalantly. "Origin's _master_ is no more!" When he threw the sword, it crashed in front of Lloyd and blew him back into the thrown room wall. Red electricity exploded around Lloyd and he cried out as his mana was forcefully sucked out of his body, taking along with it the last of his strength.

"Lloyd!" Crashing through the very wall itself, Kratos came bursting in – grabbing Lloyd free of the polycarbonate – before twirling around and casting a lightning spell to the unsuspecting Omega. Carrying with it the rage of a father, the magic was stronger than ever. The bolt of lightning came crashing down and immobilized the summon spirit of death, if only for a few moments.

Yuan quickly retrieved his weapon before rushing to his friend's side. "Kratos! Is he alright?" He asked worriedly.

Kratos placed his son down carefully on the floor and floated a hand over his body to give him a quick healing spell to stop the blood flow. He closed his eyes and thanked the goddess, knowing that had he been a second later his son would not be able to survive. "He's fine." Standing up he glared at Origin and unsheathed his sword, pointing it at the cocky summon spirit. "You on the other hand will pay for harming my son."

Upon hearing this, Omega laughed. "You could not defeat me then and you stand little chance of doing so now."

Kratos stood his ground and knew the magical entity was right, but if what his other son said was true, then he was meant to die anyway. Let it be in the defense of his son. _If the end of my existence means the life and survival of my son, then so be it._ "Yuan, protect Lloyd for me." He said without turning, then began walking towards the manifestation of death itself.

_Zaichar's__ Base – Eastside_

Presea swung her body around, smacking down any nearby dark elves, but those in the air remained unharmed and she was running out of energy. "Any suggestions?" She asked her partner.

Regal interlaced his fingers and bent back, kicking back a dark angel guard that came down with his pike against the ex-criminal. "We have to keep fighting. We have to buy Lloyd enough time to deal with Zaichar and Omega. He is our only hope." As Presea faced Regal, he could see a dark angel spell caster finish gathering her mana and smirk down evilly at the seemingly young girl and he knew what that meant. "Presea! Look out!"

"Bye bye!" She laughed and swung her rod, casting the dark mana into a spell. "Thunder Arrow!" Electrified flame flew from her scepter and superheated the entire battlefield.

Presea barely turned around when the attack was on top of her. "Not a chance!" Regal jumped in front of the blast, but the barrier he erected wasn't strong enough to hold up against the magic and shattered instantly. Thrown against the girl he meant to protect, Regal's back was severally burned and he lay unconscious nearby when Presea slowly sat up unharmed.

"No!" She exclaimed, looking at his broken body, still unmoving.

The spell caster laughed. "One down, one to go."

Turning her eyes to the enemy, Presea's hand tightened on her ax which she retrieved shortly after recovering from the ground, and she grit her teeth in a last attempt at self control. "_This_ one… will be your undoing." The fire in her jaded eyes erupted around her ax and spinning around, the fire grew and grew until she released it at the overconfident angel. "Fiery Infliction!"

"What?" The spinning ax flew like a rising meteor straight through its target. Not even a death cry was heard as the ax sliced through its target and angled around to land in its mistress' awaiting hand.

"_Never_ underestimate your opponent." Presea said coldly, before placing the ax back on her back. Turning around she rushed back to Regal's side and saw he was finally coming to. "Why?" She had to ask. "Why were you willing to make such a sacrifice…for me?"

Regal gave the girl a small smile, "I…made a promise. One I will never break."

Presea's eyes widened and she knew who that promise had been made to. Looking away in shame, her shoulders slumped sadly. "I am not worthy of such dedication."

"You're…right." Regal coughed and wheezed as it was clear his ribs were broken in at least a few places. When the girl looked over shocked, he gave her the best reassuring look he could. "You deserve so much more and I hope over time I will be able to bring you to experience all life has to offer: true life."

Presea was at a loss of words and for a moment, it was as if her own father had been reincarnated. She felt her heart break and gasped when she felt tears roll down her cheeks. Was she…crying? That was impossible because of the cruxis crystal, wasn't it? Rodyle had taken that away from her when she agreed to the experiment. So then…?

Regal slowly raised a hand and wiped her tear away, but to him it was a wonderful sight. Both knew the significance of that moment, and yet both could say nothing. It was simply understood and they left it at that. Humanity now was no longer just the dream of a little girl, but the reality come to life by a close friend and protector and it was a day she would never forget.

Zelos weaved in between the trees in an attempt to lose Saitou, but the general's dark power enhancer made him incredibly fast and he was flying parallel with Zelos. "All you are accomplishing is delaying the inevitable." He smirked.

"Well then, have at ya!" The fiery haired youth weaved away from one tree and came barreling in to ram Saitou into another tree. The bark exploded with the impact and Zelos stopped in the nearby clearing, waiting to see the general recover. "You have a lot to answer for and that was just an appetizer. How do you like it? I call it Bark a la mode!"

Saitou came around the tree, his face scratched up a bit and pieces of wood messing up his normally straight and ordered hair. "This isn't your fight! Why do you interfere?"

"Because I was asked to and even after one look at you I don't like you. Now let's cut the chit chat and get down to business." Zelos unsheathed his sword and raised two fingers to beckon the general forward.

The choker around Saitou's neck glowed and he growled as he summoned his pike and flew towards Zelos. "Fine with me! I'll make your death quick and painful!" When their two weapons clashed, Zelos strained to keep up his defense. For his plan to work, he had to immobilize Saitou for just a few precious moments. Both pressed as hard as they could and with their faces mere inches apart, Saitou smirked. "If it's too much for you to handle, let that wretched boy taken over. I'd _love_ to see him again."

"I can defeat you on my own!" Zelos exclaimed, quickly releasing his pressure and threw Saitou off balance. Raising his knee, the former Chosen knocked the wind out of his opponent and slammed the hilt of his sword against the back of Saitou's neck. "Try taking me on by _yourself_ for a change!" The golden exsphere lit up and upon contact, the power enhancer broke into two pieces, falling off of the general's neck. His angelic senses told him the collar was why Saitou was able to keep up so easily and knew he had to destroy it if he was even going to stand a chance.

Saitou went falling down, but before he hit the ground he spun around and faced up at Zelos. "Very well!" Shooting his hands forward he released a blast of charged black mana at the unprepared warrior.

"Zelos!" Sheena exclaimed, coming into the clearing.

"I've got him!" Carbuncle jumped and twirled, erecting her red barrier around Zelos, sufficiently blocking the preemptive strike.

Zelos cursed and shouted, "Sheena! What are you doing here? I came here so you wouldn't get hurt!"

Sheena huffed, "And what, die an honorable death? Like I'd let _that_ happen!"

Her other half rolled his eyes. "I wasn't _planning_ on dying! I did have a plan, you know!" He defended himself.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" Sheena asked unbelieving.

Zelos was about to answer when he looked at the crater where Saitou should've been. "Dammit Sheena! Where'd he go?"

Gasping, Sheena moved back when the general in question teleported right in front of her and grabbed a hold of her shoulders. "I'm right here."

Carbuncle gasped and rushed forward. "I'm coming, Sheena!"

Saitou couldn't have that, so he blasted the guardian spirit back into a tree where he knew she wouldn't be able to save his victim this time. Looking up at stationary Zelos, Saitou tilted his head. "What, you're gonna let this one die too? How selfish of you. Wouldn't you love to die saving your damsel in distress?"

Sheena struggled against his hold, but instantly felt her strength waning and looked down to see Saitou's hands glowing black. His dark mana kept her immobile and helpless to stop him. She met Zelos' eyes and mouthed "I'm sorry."

Zelos tightened his free hand into a fist. "Let her go, Saitou. This doesn't involve her."

"Drop the sword, _with_ the exsphere, and I'll release her on the condition she leaves this battle between you and me. And when I say 'you' I mean Shinji. It's been so long since we've chatted…I miss him." The demeanor behind that sentence made Zelos even madder, but he couldn't try anything with Sheena in risk of getting hurt.

Sighing, he slumped in mid air and his sword hung loosely in his grip. "Fine, just don't hurt her." Meeting the girl's gaze he said, "Sheena, I'm sorry." In a quick change of emotion, Zelos hefted his sword like a spear and threw it at the general's back. "Demonic Spear!"

Saitou was surprised, but not unprepared. He spun Sheena around and placed her in front of him as shield. "Big mistake!" The sword came flying down and flew straight through Sheena's chest and into Saitou's stomach. The summoner opened her mouth in shock and stood still, looking down at the hilt of the sword protruding from her body.

Behind her, Saitou's eyes were wide and he slowly released Sheena, falling backwards onto the forest floor. His wound bled the same dark mana he'd used on so many of his own victims and it drained out of his body like thick tar.

Sheena watched as the sword disappeared and reappeared in the hand of the descending angel before her. "Zelos?" Looking back down at her supposed wound, she saw that she was perfectly fine. "What did you do?" She asked looking back up.

Zelos looked ashamed at what he'd done, but walked over to the barely living general. "That attack was meant to target only those with demons in their soul. You, therefore, were immune to its effect. Saitou on the other hand…" The general lost strength by the moment as more dark mana was lost, some of it evaporating into the air as a black mist.

Diving into his sub-consciousness, Saitou found the sleeping entity who'd lent him so much strength and made it possible for Zelos to save the one he loved most. _Well, what are you going to do now?_

_ What?_ The spirit replied, confused.

_This is all you. Say what you've wanted to say all this time and free your soul of your guilt._

Sheena watched as Zelos' eyes once again changed from a pretty blue to brown, but this time he was much calmer. "S-Shinji?"

Ignoring Sheena for the moment, the spirit stood over Saitou as the general weakly opened his eyes. "You took away the only thing that ever mattered to me and did nothing but mock me when I lost to you back at Welgaia. You've manipulated everyone around you and either killed or…_locked away_ that which you were afraid of."

Saitou let out a short laugh. "Me…afraid of you? Not a chance."

"Why else not kill me when you had the chance? I could've defeated you then, so you had to get rid of me and locking my spirit away between dimensions was the easiest way. Well now you have been defeated and even so, I will trap you in the same cold and dark realm that you banished me to so that your soul may continue to exist…yet cease to exist at the same time. May the masters of time be merciful to you, Saitou." Raising both hands above his head, Zelos' mana began to build in an unusual golden color. "Elii corto li ma shi!"

The ground beneath Saitou became a bottomless swirling vortex that slowly began pulling down its next _resident_. Saitou at first tried to fight against the force with the last of his strength, but without his dark mana _or_ his power enhancer, it was impossible to escape. So instead he looked up at Zelos' body and glared at the brown eyes that would forever haunt him in the land of the exiled. "If you found a way back, then I will return as well and this world will know my wrath!"

"Goodbye Saitou. Remember, when the darkness begins to eat away at what's left of your sanity, you brought this upon yourself." Came Shinji's reply.

Carbuncle slowly came to and joined her mistress' side just as the portal closed. "Is that the last we'll see of him?"

Sheena bent down and gently stroked the creature's fur. "I doubt he'll find a way back, but I'm not sure what would've been more merciful: killing him or letting him live in eternal damnation. But that wasn't our decision to make, right Shinji?" Turning around she saw Zelos' back was facing away from her. "Shinji? Zelos?" Come to think of it, who was in charge of Zelos' body now? Looking around Zelos to see what he was staring at, she saw the translucent form of a girl around Colette's age, standing in a thin yellow spring dress. She had long brown hair braided behind her and a swirled symbol decorating the golden coronet around her head. Gasping, she moved around her warrior to stand at his side. "Is that…?"

"Yukari…" Shinji breathed. When the beauty before his eyes reached out a hand to him, he felt himself being pulled towards her and behind him he heard Sheena gasped as Zelos closed his eyes and almost passed out from the separation.

When Zelos looked weakly in front of him, he saw the translucent figure of both Shinji as he remembered him from the cave and Yukari, the girl whom Shinji had been fighting for all this time. His body felt incredibly weak, but he knew that was because of Shijni leaving. Thankfully Sheena was right there to catch him when he needed her.

"Shinji…you don't have to fight anymore. It's over." Came the sweet voice of Yukari.

Shinji reached out a shaky hand and his eyes went wide when he interlaced his fingers around hers. In the next moment, his arms were around her and he embraced her with a century's worth of love that up until now had been denied. "Y-Yukari, I'm so sorry. That day…when Mithos took you, I should have done more to try and save you!"

"It's not your fault." She assured him as she returned his embrace. "You're here with me now, that's all that matters. You never have to fight again." Pulling away she smiled and looked into his eyes. "Come with me."

Nodding slowly, Shinji turned around to face the couple behind him but not once did he let go of the woman at his side. "Zelos, none of this would have been possible without you. Thank you for everything…for what you've done for us."

Zelos winked and feebly held up his thumb. "Get going before something else happens. Unless of course, you _want_ to stay here another one hundred years."

Shinij laughed and shook his head. "As much fun as it was to toy with your sanity, I think I'll be happier…going where I belong." As both he and Yukari started to disappear, Shinji called out, "Don't forget to give her the charm! She'll love it!"

"Shinji!" Zelos berated, but it was too late. Behind him he felt Sheena's eyes on him and sighed in exasperation. "I don't know what he's talking about."

Sheena gasped and purposefully dropped the warrior onto the floor. "Zelos!"

Before he could recover, Carbuncle jumped on his back and extended her claws lightly into his back. "Talk or I'll make you into sushi!"

"Okay! Okay!" Zelos spasmed under her "assault". Digging into his pocket, he pulled out the manji charm he'd gotten from Mizuho. "It's not like it's anything special."

Sheena reached down and plucked it out of his hands. "You bought this…for me?"

"Well, duh." Zelos rolled his eyes.

Sheena was truly touched and looked over at her guardian. "Carbuncle."

The little creature did as told as got off Zelos, allowing the warrior to recover and get to his feet. "If I ever get my hands at that guy again for opening his big mouth…"

"Thank you Zelos!" Sheena wrapped her arms around Zelos and gave him a full kiss on the lips. Pulling back slowly, she blushed and laughed nervously at the warror's shocked expression. "Sorry…"

"No complaints here." He mirrored her nervousness. "But I wonder…can I expect that every time I get you something? Cause if so…"

" "Zelos!""

Bracing himself, Zelos shied back. "Okay okay! Forget I said anything, just don't claw me anymore! That really hurt!"

As one both girls started laughed and started back towards the main battlefield, hoping to aide their friends any way they could.

When Zelos saw he was alone, he rushed to catch up to them. "Hey, wait for me!"

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to come out! There was a lot of planning behind this chapter and the next one. Also, chemistry is getting harder and I actually have to study now to get a good grade. Please be patient and I'll work hard to get out the next chapter soon. Thanks for all your support everyone!


	23. From Death Life Blossoms

From Death Life Blossoms

"Dwarven Vow #15: However long the night, the dawn will break."

_Zaichar's__ Base – Throne Room_

"Hurricane Thrust!" Kratos called out as he ran his blade forward, only to be deflected by two of Omega's. The dark summon spirit crossed his blades and lifted the angel's attack, diverting it away from him, while one of his other swords came in to slice across Kratos' side. Kratos didn't falter though. He spun around and added a bit of his wind magic to create a wind funnel that blew Omega a good distance away from him. Kratos clutched his wound and instantly started focusing some of his mana to deal with the healing.

"Kratos! Are you alright?" Yuan called out. He had remained by Lloyd's side, as per his friend's request, but seeing Kratos fairing so poorly against the summon spirit of death made him want to rush to his side.

"Yes, just stay there!" Kratos replied, straightening up and placing both hands back on the hilt of his sword.

Omega laughed and flicked the angel's blood free from his sword. "You haven't changed a bit, Kratos. Still run by your emotions as you ever were."

"That's funny because until recently, I've been seen by everyone around me as being _devoid_ of emotion." Kratos countered. "I fight now for all the people you've used and killed in your senseless pursuit of power: Martel, Raine, and the elves of Heimdall. Their spirits will finally be able to rest once you are destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Omega repeated. "Kind of dark and angst for an _angel_, don't you think? Where is your power now Kratos? Or will you finally bow to me and admit that death and darkness is stronger than that of life and light! I am the all powerful! Admit it!"

Kratos grit his teeth and decided that a frontal assault wasn't going to work and he had to be crafty if he was going to succeed in taking out Omega. The summon spirit's emotions were definitely his downfall and Kratos would use them to his advantage. "The will to live is what drives humans and all creatures of this world forward to the next sunrise; not the power of death. Those who fear death show merely their weakness and that is what you are Omega; the pure embodiment of fear and weakness."

Kratos knew he had to get Omega in a position where he would not be able to avoid the angel's spell. Speaking of life and death gave Kratos an idea of how to defeat, or at least weaken, the summon spirit before him. He just hoped it worked or else more people, Lloyd and his companions, would be the next to be placed on Death's door.

"I _will_ crush all of you and Martel will be the next to suffer my wrath!" Omega's swords glowed red and he dove down upon the small form of Kratos, rage filling his empty, hollowed eyes.

Kratos un-expectantly ran forward to meet the rush, his own sword glowing blue with building mana. As the two got closer, the angel heard a voice speak to him from within, _Protect him Kratos…for both of us…_

Besides Lloyd, the seraphim angel saw the youth's exsphere light up with an unimaginable power and in an instant his wings and wounds were healed. Looking over towards the duel, Yuan saw Kratos' sword glow even brighter with that same light.

Pushing up off the ground, Kratos used his wings to pick up his speed and raised his sword above him, "Phoenix Light!" Above Omega, a heavenly light rained down and covered Omega's entire form, making death's hand freeze in surprise.

"What's this?" Wherever the light hit, the summon spirit's skin burned away, revealing red and white muscles and tendons. Crying out, Omega tried to block out the rays, but he'd been lured in too close and could not get away. As the light increased in intensity, more black mist and smoke rose from Omega's form and the dark summon spirit fell from the sky, crashing into the "almighty" Zaichar's throne, the pseudo-ruler himself still unconscious next to it.

Kratos lowered down in front of Lloyd and Yuan in case of retaliation, but felt confident there would be none. It had been a gamble, but with Omega after Origin with such a passion, the seraphim angel knew it was because Omega feared the power of the King of Summon Spirits which meant the element that would best be used to defeat him was just that: the power of life itself.

As Omega pushed himself off the floor in attempt to continue fighting, his former master also began to reawaken from Omega's previous spell and upon seeing his summon spirit, Zaichar instantly got angry. "How _dare_ you! I was the one who released you from the seal and you repay me by turning against your master?"

"I have no master! I am ruled by no one! Not you, not Origin, and definitely not Martel!" Came the response of death.

"We'll see about that!" With barely enough energy left to stand, the elf unhooked his butterfly sword and attempted to battle that which he once thought he controlled so unconditionally. "You are a summon spirit! You do as I command!"

"Never!" Omega had barely gotten to his feet when he had to raise one of his sword arms to block the weak strike Zaichar sent his way.

Ignoring the two for the most part, Kratos turned around to kneel besides his son once more. "How is he?"

Yuan nodded. "Whatever happened back there, he…" The leader was at a loss for words. Even now he wasn't completely sure what had conspired, but the boy's life was no doubt saved by that mysterious power within him.

Kratos understood and sighed with relief. Once again his love had protected their son and he was eternally grateful. _Anna…thank you. Until we meet again my love._

Lloyd moaned and slowly opened his eyes. Upon seeing his father looking down at him he smiled weakly. "I knew you'd come."

"Ready to finish this?" Kratos stood and held out his hand.

The youth's smile grew and he nodded, taking the offered gesture and stood up besides his father. "With you on my side, I can do anything." He assured. Both looked over at the feuding duo and Lloyd held up his swords. "For Raine and Martel…this has to end now." Kratos nodded and both began powering up their mana.

The charge grew so intense that the air itself began to crackle and Yuan had to step back and raise his cape to prevent from being injured himself. From the time he'd known both, Yuan had noticed a change in their auras as time grew. Lloyd's aura was always so fiery red and it reflected his inner passion for justice. Kratos' on the other hand was always a deep blue, born from his sorrow and regret from the past. Now, though, both angel's aura were a brilliant purple and they both pulsed as one entity.

Lloyd jumped in the air and slashed twice with his sword shouting, "Demonic Tiger Blade!"  
"Super Lightning Blade!" Kratos' lightning combined with Lloyd's energy technique and flew at the unsuspecting guardian of death as he continued to hold his own against his former master.

""Thunder Tiger Blade!""

Out of the corner of his eyes, Omega finally sensed the looming danger, but without enough energy to create a shield, he grabbed the closest thing he could: Zaichar. Slamming the oncoming elf with the back of his hand, Omega threw Zaichar into the path of the manifested lightning beast. The lightning cracked as it flew across the room and four legs and a head grew from it, a magnificent tiger being the bringer of retribution to the oppressors before it. Zaichar screeched as the energy ran threw him, zapping what power and strength he had left. His body was torn apart and his blood splattered against the face of the one responsible for his demise. Omega sneered as he felt the chains of slavery break with Zaichar's death and knew he was once again free to wreak havoc upon living.

Lloyd and Kratos were shocked to say the least. A man had just been vaporized before them with their power and the one they had meant to banish was laughing and growing stronger by the moment. "Why do I feel like we've just made things a lot worse?" Lloyd asked his father.

Kratos took a knowing step back. "Because we just did."

Zaichar, without a master to restrain him, was able to draw power of the dead below ground, centuries and centuries of energy left behind when the souls crossed over to the Other Side. "Yes, yes, everything I've worked for has all been for this grand moment!" He continued to laugh as he rose off the ground and into the air. "There's only one last thing that stands in my way. Today, I will have my revenge!" Completely forgetting that he had been battling Kratos and Lloyd, the summon spirit of death disappeared from the throne room, off to complete his own evil goals.

"Where did he go?" Lloyd demanded.

Kratos turned back to Yuan. "Let us regroup and discuss this with the others. We have to find out where he's going and fast. There's no telling how much damage he can do now that he has no power limitations."

"I'll contact my people and see what they can find out." Yuan offered as the three ran out of the throne room back towards the surface.

_Outside Zaichar's Fortress_

Megami laughed as she flipped to avoid Colette's Angel Feathers. "Is this the best you have to offer?"

Genis was near the end of his mana and Megami, though they'd landed a few hits against her, still fought with as much energy as before. "We…have to being her down a notch."

Colette nodded and thought fiercely of how to defeat the dark elf. Her angelic magic obviously seemed to work, but Megami moved too fast for them to land a hit. Genis' elemental spells usually had a large radius, but the small mage himself didn't have enough mana left to cast such a spell. Colette had plenty of mana left, but again it was how to use it.

"You'd best pay attention on who you're fighting, little angel!" Megami jumped up and slashed with her claws, almost slicing right through Colette's throat. The angel girl gasped and raised her chakrams to deflect the attack and it was when sparks flew that she saw the collar around Megami's neck. It was radiating with dark mana.

"Colette!" Genis exclaimed in worry.

"I'm alright!" _That's what's making her so powerful._ Colette had seen the same collar on other dark angels on the battlefield, so it seemed obvious that one of their generals would have one as well. Taking a quick moment to land besides Genis, Colette whispered something to him before shooting over towards the poised Megami. "Take this!" She threw one chakram and then the other at the dark elf general.

Megami easily dodged one of the round weapons, but just as she was straightening from the move, the other chakram came flying and when a loud crack was heard, Megami watch in horror as her power enhancer, which she had craftily stolen from one of Saitou's precious dark angels, drop to the ground in two broken pieces.

Colette clipped her chakrams back on her hips and nodded. _We've only got one chance at this! _"Now Genis!"

The mage raised his scepter and thought, _Please__ help me, Raine. Give me your strength!_ "Indignation!"

Megami hissed as could've sworn she saw the translucent form of the rat's accursed sister appear behind him as his mana exploded with unbelievable power.

Colette threw her arms out to her side and added in her mana as she began to cast her own spell. "Hammer rain!" From the sky flew down small lights of energy, like mystical rain, but when they fell upon Megami, she began to screech in pain.

""Mjollnir!"" Both Genis and Colette shouted, their eyes a hauntingly blue-white. Megami raised her hands to ward off the beating rain, but it was impossible to avoid and as her defenses were pummeled into nothing, Genis' spell exploded beneath her in a loud sonic boom of purification.

When the spell was over, Genis closed his eyes and was about to pass out, when Colette came down and gently kept him upright. "It's over, Genis. Megami can't bother us anymore."

"Thank you Colette…and Raine…" He said before he succumbed to the peaceful darkness.

Colette's eyes widened upon hearing her old professor's name, but had the scholar been present, even in spirit, for their battle, the two definitely owed her their thanks. Smiling, Colette too closed her eyes. "Yes, thank you Professor Sage. May you rest in peace."

"Wow, did we miss the party over here?" Zelos asked when he, Sheena, and Carbuncle entered the clearing from the forest. In front of Colette and Genis a large black crater was all that was left of the once dark elf general.

"Is everyone alright?" Sheena asked worriedly.

"We're fine, just exhausted." Colette assured, carrying Genis' little body in her arms.

"We have suffered an injury on our side, I'm afraid." Presea said as she came over carrying Regal on her back. The sight would have been more humorous had their friend not been bleeding and barely unconscious.

"Lay him here. I'll see what I can do." Zelos offered, taking out the gels he'd bought earlier as well as applying his healing arts to at least stop the bleeding.

"Considering the force we went up against, things could've turned out a lot worse." Sheena admitted.

"Where's Lloyd?" Carbuncle asked worriedly. Over time she'd grown fond of their leader, his kindness was the exact opposite of Zelos' behavior.

Colette set Genis next to Regal on the ground and looked away sadly. "He went inside with Yuan some time ago."

"And Kratos?" Presea asked.

All Colette could do was shrug.

"Well we have to go in there and help him!" Sheena stated the obvious.

"Even after all this time you have so little faith in me?" Lloyd shouted from the air as he recalled his wings and landed besides the group, his father and Yuan in the air above him.

"Lloyd!" Colette and Sheena exclaimed at once, both giving their friend a welcoming hug. The boy himself blushed a deep beat red, but knew it was because they'd been worried for him.

"Then Zaichar?" Presea asked.

"He's taken care of, but we still have Omega to worry about." Lloyd reported.

Colette frowned. "But without a master, doesn't Omega have to return to his seal?"

"It seems he doesn't want to." Kratos replied flatly. "Since he was the cause of Zaichar's downfall, it would appear he has his own agenda in mind and to my knowledge there's only one thing that could be a threat to him now."

Yuan looked over at Kratos. "And without a master, there's nothing to stop him."

Zelos frowned from his position next to Regal. "But what does a summon spirit have to be afraid of?"

Sheena gasped and looked over at her boyfriend. "What's the one thing that's kept this planet alive?"

The former chosen was at a loss. Tilting his head to the side he shrugged. "Um…water?"

Genis snapped his fingers as he too caught on. "He destroys that and everything will die!"

Presea nodded, also having figured it out. "And everything we've fought for will be in vein."

Lloyd and Zelos exchanged looks, being the only ones clueless. Lloyd crossed his arms and scoffed as he looked away. "At least I'm not the only one."

As one the group shouted, "The Great Viscus Tree!"

"Oohhhhh…" Both males reply.

His moment of complete denseness gone, Lloyd raised a fist and instantly got confident again. "Well what are we standing around here for? Let's go!" Everyone around him sweatdropped, including Zelos. Nothing could keep Lloyd down once he set his mind to it. "Zelos, I need you to stay here with Regal and Genis. See to their healing and if they heal up soon come and join us; I'll leave Aska here with you. If not, we'll come and pick you up afterwards."

Yuan turned to Kratos. "I'm going to stay and see if I can help the elves of Heimdall. I also wish to see the rest of Zaichar's fortress and see if there are any captives down below. Perhaps he did not convert them all." He paused, then added quietly. "I'm sure that's what Martel would want me to do."

Kratos nodded, completely understanding his long time friend.

"I would prefer to stay as well." Presea spoke up.

Her demeanor was unusual for the girl, but not unwelcomed. She was worried. Lloyd nodded. "All right. The rest of us will be back before you know it." Being the only one who couldn't fly, Kratos came down and picked up Sheena and Carbuncle, then took off towards the southeast. They had to stop Omega or all was lost.

_Great Viscus Tree_

Luccia stood amongst the others gathering around the tree, flowers being placed down along with crops and small statues of the goddess herself, presents from the people to their ultimate protector. The time was coming and the elven elemental hoped no one got injured, but with the growing crowd, now almost a hundred strong, Luccia's hope dropped. It was good that they were here to offer praise to the goddess, but now was not going to be the best of times.

"MARTEL!"

The dark voice startled everyone and they all huddled together at the base of the Great Viscus Tree. Luccia though glared at the abomination. "Omega…" She hadn't known it would be the summon spirit of death himself, but it would explain the stranger's need to request Luccia's presence.

Omega stopped before the tree and glared at it with a millennia of hatred. "Come out and fight me, Martel! You will answer for your crimes!"

Upon hearing this, the group below began to mutter amongst themselves. Luccia summoned her wind around her and rose above the people, causing more surprised gasps and comments. "You will not harm this tree, Omega!"

"Omega!" Lloyd called out, flying as fast as he could towards the summon spirit.

Omega growled low and turned quickly to fire off a dark mana ball at the approaching nuisance. Lloyd acted swiftly and dodged to one side while Kratos and Colette dodged to the other side. "You will not interfere, angel! This is between me and the heathen!"

"Martel's not the one responsible for what happened! Your actions back then forced her to do what she did! You have no one to blame but yourself!" Lloyd retorted.

Kratos frowned as he set Sheena down on the ground and flew back up to Omega's height. Did his son know something that he did not?

"Grrraahhh!" Omega powered up each hand with another mana ball and fired them off successively.

Kratos flew at Lloyd and pushed him out of the way of one, but was hit back by the next one. Lloyd himself erected his barrier to deflect the third one, but when the last one came rearing its ugly head, a bright white light exploded within him and Origin materialized behind his master, his four swords protecting him from any further harm. "Omega, this has to end now! Confronting Martel won't change what you did in the past! You must answer for your own crimes and accept the fact that Martel isn't the one responsible!" The king of summon spirits explained. Below Colette made sure Kratos was okay before both turned their attention to the confrontation in the sky. "Your hatred for Martel and even myself is misplaced and you know this!"

Alexia now knew the time had come and folded her hands in front of her, closing her eyes in concentration.

Hear my cry,  
In my hungering search for you,  
Taste my breath on the wind,  
See the sky as it mirrors my colors,  
Hints and whispers begin.

Her singing voice brought the attention of everyone present, including Omega, and before all of them, the tree's bark and branches began to glow with an inner light and a voice replied to the gentle request.

I am living to nourish you, cherish you,  
I am pulsing the blood in your veins,  
Feel the magic and power of surrender,  
To life. Uisce Beatha

"Is that…Martel?" Colette wondered.

Luccia's people, the elementals, had been the only ones capable of performing this ritual before the tree of life. With their power, the goddess Martel could be summoned once more to this plain of existence where her followers could ask for guidance and wisdom. Summoning wind around her, Luccia performed the dance as she had been taught and spun gracefully in the currents, presenting her performance as her own offering to the Goddess

Every hand is reaching and searching,  
Until your presence reveals itself,  
In this dance, as it endlessly circles,  
I place my faith on you.

Her offering was accepted and the Goddess responded as her form materialized before the Great Viscus Tree.

I am living to nourish you, cherish you,  
I am pulsing the blood in your veins,  
Feel the magic and power of surrender,  
To life. Uisce Beatha

"Uisce beatha?" Colette wondered aloud.

Kratos set one hand casually on his sword, the earlier tension gone. "It means 'Believe in me'. It's a language that was lost long ago."

"Then how do you know it?" Colette asked with a smile.

"Because I have been around a long time." He replied quite seriously, but then mirrored the angel girl's smile before returning his attention to Lloyd and Omega.

Martel opened her eyes and looked upon her summon spirit sadly. "Omega, why do you force history to repeat itself?"

Omega crossed two of his arms while another one pointed accusingly at the goddess. "You banished me from this realm because you feared my power then preach about equality and strength of oneself when in the end you are nothing but a hypocrite!"

Martel shook her head. "I feel not fear, but pity. Your powers are not dark in themselves, merely the shadow that co-exists with the light, but it was what you did with that power that forced me to restrain you." She explained. "Many eons ago, when I first created the summon spirits to guide this earth, you used your power over death on the humans and when you refused to recede I protected them…by sealing you away. But there is still time for redemption, Omega. If you agree to abide by the laws I have placed upon you and your brethren, you may once again exist with us."

Omega looked away. "So either way I am forced to choose slavery? Be it by choice or the seal, I have no control over my own freedom."

From Lloyd, the other summon spirits manifested themselves around Origin and Omega and looked upon their brother with sadness. "Do not think you will be alone." The king of the summon spirits replied.

"Protecting the humans can bring its own benefits." Sephie said.

"You'd be surprised how much spunk they've got in 'em." Gnome agreed.

"You can place upon them your wisdom and guide this land rather than control it." Undine explained.

Luna sat on her moon and held her scepter over her lap. "Much can be improved by simply adding your strength to that of Lloyd's. He has done much for his people."

"Hatred…bad…" Shadow, as close as a brother as Omega could have, spoke in his usual low tone.

"We all know how lonely it can get being by yourself while awaiting the next summoner." Yutis sympathized.

"But when you know your friends are on the other side, it makes it easier to succumb to the lasting sleep." Fairess added.

Efreet stood next to his counterpart, but instead of fighting, they stood as one. "Anger can only be destructive where understanding can lead to great accomplishments."

"And when you do mess up, we'll be there to pick you up." Celsius smiled. "Just like now."

Omega was quiet and Lloyd was beginning to worry. "Even those who use the dark arts can use them for good. I know humans have a lot to learn and sometimes we forget that we're all interrelated and turn on each other for trivial reasons, but the World Council prevented another war from breaking out, a war you and your former master tried with all your power to start. Look below you and you'll see even now, after everything that's happened, there are both humans and half elves standing together in order to pay homage to the Great Viscus Tree. We can keep this going, but only with your help."

"My help? What could the power of death do for a planet thriving in life?" Omega asked.

Origin smiled and met eyes with his brother. "Life and death are as intertwined as day and night. That which lives will eventually die and that which is dead brings about life in another things. It is an endless cycle, a continuously spinning wheel that governs the lives of all."

"You don't have to destroy everything in order to improve it. There are other ways…there's always another way." Lloyd smiled.

Origin's muscles seemed to relax as he faced the youth. "My dark powers are different from the other summon spirits. That which is controlled can also be the controller. If you do not use caution, the darkness will take over. This I cannot prevent. It all depends on the strength of the heart of my master. Do you still wish to wield my power?"

Lloyd felt a moment of fear with being reunited with the dark powers, the atrocities he committed while under its control still fresh in his mind. But if he didn't do this, he'd be sentencing Omega to be banished within the seal forever. Lloyd looked over at his father and Colette on the ground and took a deep breath. He had a lot to make up for, but he knew those who loved him would always be there to keep him on the right path. "I understand the risks and I accept them."

Gasps were heard below and Luccia, who had lowered down to the ground after Martel's arrival, glared at them – silencing any further unnecessary actions.

"Then prepare yourself for I will not go easy on you!" Unsheathing his bone swords, Omega flew at Lloyd as the boy himself withdrew his swords and dodged the summon spirit's first attack.

"Let's go Carbuncle!" Sheena took out her cards and rushed towards the battle. Even though it took place in the air, she wanted to be near by so she could provide as much support as possible.

The older warrior narrowed his eyes and unsheathed his sword. "Shall we go too?"

Colette looked up to Kratos and nodded confidently. "Let's do it." Both angels took the air and stopped besides Lloyd just as he aimed forward with his sword.

Omega had circled around in order to make another pass, but this time the youth was ready. "Power Light Shot!" Lloyd held the hilt in two hands and a bright light came out of the sword in the form of an energy ball. He already knew the best way to defeat Omega was with the power of light.

The summon spirit was hit square in the chest and stumbled to regain his balance in mid air. Before he could recover, Lloyd was on top of him stabbing repeatedly with his sword. "Demonic Chaos!" He shouted as he ended the attack, lowering his shoulder to ram the bringer of death away from him.

Omega bent over and clutched his stomach painfully. Looking up he glared at the youth. Never before had the boy shown such strength, even when fused with Origin did he show such power. Then…had he been holding back? Bringing up two of his swords, Omega crossed them in front of him releasing two striped of black mana. "Darkness Wave!"

Colette was the one who jumped up to this threat, releasing her chakrams in such a way that they began to form a funnel of spinning air. "Ring Cyclone!" She shouted as the waves of energy were pulled into them and redirected safely into the sky above. The cyclone barreled forward and slammed into Omega himself. The summon spirit raised all four swords and sufficiently blocked the attack.

The next to fly in was Kratos Aurion, the angel Omega had defeated so many centuries ago and yet he could sense resolve within the angel's soul. As Omega watched his adversary dive in towards him, he smirked and erected a special kind of barrier to deal with the angel.

Kratos, not seeing it, fired off his lightning and called out, "Super Lightning Blade!" His attack flew towards the seemingly unprotected summon spirit but at the last moment, his angel vision caught sight of the light rainbow hue of the shield and his eyes widened in realization. "No…"

His attack struck the shield and bounced right back towards him, the blue crackling energy rebounding as quickly as he had cast it.

"Dad, look out!" Lloyd cried out, flying forwards, hoping to save his one and only father.

The angel knew he should've seen this coming and there was no way he would be able to dodge it in time. As he watched the bolt fly towards him he saw a flash of him holding Lloyd for the first time, his beautiful wife lying in the bed next to him. They had created something wonderful that day and Kratos held no regrets for his life, but finally reached a complete resolve with the mistakes of the past.

The attack was as powerful as anything he'd felt before and every muscle in his body screamed in pain, but yet none reached his lips. He simply closed his eyes and fell from the sky weak and defeated. He vaguely remembered hearing his son cry out his name as Lloyd caught Kratos and slowly lowered him to the ground. After that everything around him was darkness…

"Dad! Dad come on, wake up!" Lloyd pleaded. Behind him Sheena and Carbuncle, along with Colette, had taken up fighting Omega while their friend bent over the body of his father. "Come on…I've hit you with harder than that. You can pull out of this one too. I know you can." But Kratos neither answered, nor opened his eyes in response. "Damn it Dad! I thought you were gonna stay with me this time! You left to Derris Kharlan and told me to wait for you and you know what? I did! So you can't leave now! You have to keep your promise to me! Dad!"

Something in Lloyd snapped and the tears running down his face was evidence of his pain. He clenched his teeth and roughly wiped away the salty water from his eyes. He stood and looked up at the imposing figure of Omega. "I have to succeed. For everyone and everything…I can't lose!" He shot into the air, leaving Kratos on the ground, and rushed at Omega at an amazing speed. He first kneed the summon spirit in the gut and while he was bent over, Lloyd slammed his hilt into the back of Omega neck. "I won't lose to you!" He shouted. "This one my father taught me! Rising Falcon!" Lloyd flew up into the air and just as Omega was looking up, Lloyd came down with both swords.

Omega's eyes went wide and he looked down to see both of the boy's weapons impaling his black skin. When Lloyd pulled his weapons free, Omega could barely keep himself suspended in midair. Bending down to one knee, he took a deep breath and gathered the last of his mana to heal his injuries. "I surrender, Lloyd Irving. I acknowledge your power and submit. Keep this as proof of our pact." Lifting one of his hands, he revealed a black, shining onyx stone.

Lloyd took it and held it close to his heart. "If only…Dad were here to see this."

"Lloyd, he can still be saved." Origin came out of his master once again and this time stood side by side with Omega. "You now hold the power of death and life together. Use that power and save the one you love."

Lloyd gasped and flew down to Kratos where Luccia and many of the other villagers present began to form a circle around the fallen warrior.

Luccia looked up sadly at him as he approached. "Lloyd…I'm so sorry. I've tried everything, but I…"

Lloyd shook his head as he approached, the crowd separating to allow the son passage to his father. He carefully held the diamond stone from Origin and the onyx stone of Omega above Kratos body. "May the power of life and death, light and darkness, bring this lost soul back from the Other Side."

Origin and Omega faded and their life essences disappeared within Kratos, leaving everyone waiting anxiously. Lloyd knelt before his father and looked into his closed eyes. "Don't let me down. Please don't leave me." He said quietly, his tears threatening to fall again.

When the two summon spirits reemerged besides their master, Lloyd held his breath and watched as Kratos' eyes slowly opened and he looked up into the worried gaze of his son. "L-Lloyd?"

"Yeah Dad, it's me." The youth managed through a constricted throat. Both Sheena and Colette were already in tears, but the crowd around them let out loud cheers and as soon as Kratos was pulled to his feet everyone was met with hugs and congratulations.

"How dare you guys start the party without me!" Zelos called out from high above on Aska. The bird of light lowered its passengers to the ground and as soon as they were off, disappeared once more. "Is this the thanks I get?" Complained the fiery-headed youth.

Sheena giggled and rushed to meet him, giving him a big kiss on the lips. "No, that was your thank you." But Zelos was too rd in the face to reply. Besides him Genis and Regal weakly joined their friends, Presea helping them along.

"How did you do it?" Kratos asked. "Didn't I…?"

"Let's not think about what might've happened. We'll leave that for later." Lloyd cut him off with a smile. "The way I see it, everyone's here, so why not celebrate?"

"Wait." Luccia stopped him. "There's something I wanted to ask Martel."

Lloyd blinked. "Oh that's right!" Turning around he finally remembered the goddess herself had been present to witness everything.

Luccia walked forward and looked up at the great protector. "Why Martel, if you knew what was happening with Omega and Zaichar, did you remain hidden?" The question seemed like an accusation, but it was something that had been bothering her as of late.

Martel raised her hands to her heart and replied. "Because, I had faith in humanity and I had faith in all of you. You kept your word and protected this tree with all of your power, so in turn I kept my promise. If this tree ever were to come into danger, I would most surely protect it with all of my power. But I knew, this time, the tree was never in danger, nor was this flourishing planet. You have strong willed warriors protecting it, so even without me here, you never had anything to fear." She smiled towards Lloyd and his friends and slowly disappeared back into the Great Viscus Tree.

Zelos threw an arm around Lloyd's neck and the other around Kratos' and smirked broadly. "Did someone say something about a party?"

Everyone laughed and from somewhere in the crowd music began to play and the people dispersed to laugh and dance under the shade of their tree. The darkness had passed and only they held the light for their future.


	24. Epilogue

Epilogue

"Dwarven Vow #7: Justice and love will always win."

_Great Viscus Tree_

"Lloyd, can you hear me? This is Yuan."

Lloyd went to his belt and pulled up the walkie talkie that hung there. Pressing the button on the side he said, "Yeah I'm here. Is everything okay over there?"

"Yes, I found the elves at the lowest level of Zaichar's castle. Whatever spell he used to transform them wore off when he died. They're all fine for the most part. Even those injured during the battle are able to be saved."

Lloyd smiled as well as those close to him who heard. "That's great news. Omega's been dealt with as well. We're all over here at the Great Viscus Tree. As soon as you're able, why don't you come and join us?"

On his end, Yuan also smiled. "That's sounds like a good idea. I'll be there."

From behind him Kratos approached and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. Part of him couldn't help but believe he didn't belong there, that he should have died back there just like his _other_ son predicted. But he was here wasn't he? Could the future that Lloyd foresaw be wrong? Still…Kratos did feel blessed to be present for such a prestigious moment in his son's life and he knew that within the cruxis crystal, Anna was thankful as well.

As tension in the plains surrounding the Great Viscus Tree disappeared, more and more people began showing up to celebrate the much needed peace. Even kamai and Kokoro decided to bring the children of the orphanage for a day of fun and festivities. It was true that Kamai had been worried for his beloved when she had disappeared, but he trusted her enough to know it was for a good cause.

While music played and everyone danced, one of the children wondered over closer to the Great Tree – its trunk now surrounded by flowers and offerings. It was the same child who'd spoken with Genis on the roof of the orphanage all those months ago. Instead of having fun with the rest of the kids, he was entertaining himself with an acorn. Not just any acorn, but a _magical_ acorn.

You see, no matter how many times he threw it up, it would always float back down right in front of his face until he grabbed it again. Giggling with delight, he threw it back into the leaves and branches and waited eagerly for it to return.

"Jeremy! What are you doing all the way over here? You should be with the rest of the group." Kokoro scolded in a gentle-yet worried voice.

"I was playing with my magic acorn!" The boy replied truthfully.

Picking up the kid in his arms, Kokoro smiled at the innocent response and touched the child's nose with his index finger. "Well, how about you come over with Sister Luccia and try some of her cookies? Brother Kami brought them as a surprise from home."

"Okay!" The boy happily agreed.

In the tree, the one responsible for the trick balanced the acorn on a small cushion of wind within his hand. As the child was taken away, a smile crossed his face. "Those children, though they've been through so much, seem happy living together with Luccia and Kamai."

"Children are easy to forget the past if the future seems bright." The child form of Kratos replied from another branch.

Lloyd nodded. "Yes…now that everything has been settled, their future will be bright." Though the comment meant to hold hope, the boy from the future sighed in despair.

"One thing bothers us." Little Martel spoke up.

"Why did you lie to Kratos? Why have us participate in a foretelling that isn't true?" Luccia asked.

"If you knew my father like I do, you would know the answer to that question." Lloyd answered with a smile. "I just hope he realizes how lucky he us to be alive. Lloyd's really gonna need him…I'm gonna need him."

The small boy next to him crossed his arms. "You act as though you failed in your mission."

"Well, I guess since Zaichar was taken care of everything will be alright, but you never know for sure. I guess I just want some kind of reassurance." Lloyd sighed.

"Then go and find out." The manifestation of the past answered simply. "Stop denying yourself happiness and live it."

"I'm not _denying_ myself anything. I merely traded it when I decided to fix my mistakes of the past. The accusation made the wielder of time frown and he turned to look at Past. "But you knew that already. Why bring it up?"

"Well, don't you think everyone will miss you?" Present asked, her green eyes sparkling.

"We decide who comes and who goes." Future giggled. "And it's your time to go!"

Lloyd blinked, not sure he'd heard right. "You're…sending me back?"

Past nodded with a barely noticeable smile. "Go home, Lloyd. Live your own life and live it without regret."

"Thank you…I will." He promised. His body began to disappear and though there was some doubt that he'd done all he could to save his future, he did feel something he hadn't felt in a long time: hope.

Down below, Lloyd felt a flash of power and turned to look at the great tree. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but he'd long learned to trust his instincts so he left his friends as they talked amongst themselves, and proceeded to jump up into its branches. "Hello?" He called out. "Is anyone here? Martel?"

"Do not fear, young Lloyd." A female voice told him, though no one was near by.

"All is well within the land and balance has been restored." This voice was male and sounded vaguely familiar.

"So keep your friends close and protect them with everything you've got." A third female voice said. "Do that and there isn't anyone who can defeat you."

"I will but…who are you?" The sword wielder couldn't help but ask.

"Live to protect, Lloyd – Wielder of Time." The voices said before their presence disappeared completely.

"W-wait!" He called out, but it was too late.

"Lloyd! Lloyd, where'd ya go?" Colette called out from the ground.

"I'm right here!" He replied after a moment. "Hang on, I'll come down to you!"

Colette looked up into the Great Viscus Tree just as Lloyd jumped down in front of her. "You worry me when you disappear like that." She punched him lightly in the arm. "What's the matter? Aren't you having fun?"

"Of course I am." He smiled. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I guess so." Colette moved a piece of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear as she looked away nervously. "Lloyd…after everything that's happened, I know I shouldn't be thinking about this but…did you really mean what you said back at Asgard? About us?"

"Is that what's been bothering you?" Lloyd laughed as he pulled Colette into a hug that made the young girl blush. "I meant every word and when we get back to Iselia, I'm gonna use everyday of our lives together to prove it to you."

"Oh Lloyd…" She snuggled closer to him, the whole moment still not feeling real to her. No matter what the future sent their way, she would never loose faith, because she knew together they could do anything.

As Genis sat in the grass petting Carbuncle, Zelos and Sheena sat opposite of them, arguing who had done the most in the battle against Saitou. Even as a couple it seemed impossible to have the two together peacefully for more than a few minutes. Once fighting skills entered the "discussion", Carbuncle jumped from the young man's lap and began to defend her mistress.

Smiling with a roll of his eyes, Genis got up and stretched out his legs. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted two half elf children disappearing in the nearby forest. Frowning he hurried over to see if they were from Luccia's group. As soon as he entered the shaded tree line, he heard one of the children speaking to the other.

"Are you sure we have to leave without saying goodbye? Sister Luccia might get worried." The voice sounded like a little girl.

"Don't call her that! She's _not_ our sister! And besides, don't you want to see mom and dad again?" This one was most likely a young boy.

"Of course I do, but maybe Br- I mean Kamai could help us find them!" The other argued.

Genis recognized the two children from the story Kamai had told him about the orphans they'd found unconscious and malnourished. Supposedly they refused to tell either adult who they were or where they came from. Still not trusting them, it seemed obvious they were now intending on running away.

"We can find them on our own just fine! Despite how they act, they're still _human_! We can't trust them!"

"Please don't go." Genis stepped out from the tree he'd been hiding behind.

Gasping the boy shoved his sister with the baby in her arms behind him. "W-who are you?"

"I'm Genis. Can't you tell? I'm a half elf too." He walked up slowly. "I know who you are and running away won't help find your parents any sooner."

"How would you know? They might be looking for us right now!" The boy countered.

"That's true, but what will you do about shelter and food until they find you?" Genis asked. To this the boy didn't have an answer. "When I was little my sister told me our parents had passed away and that when things got tough the only ones we'd have to depend on were each other. At first, I didn't believe her. I tried running away to find them and ended up running into a group of humans. They offered to help me find my mom and dad, but then my sister came and showed me that they were slave traders. When they tried to attack, she was able to protect me. She saved me that day and when I was older I learned my parents hadn't just passed away, but they'd abandoned us. My sister raised me and protected me and now that she's gone, I truly understand the role she played in my life."

When the boy seemed like he was gonna run off again, Genis shook his head. "There are a lot of bad humans out there, but Kamai and Luccia are really nice and if you just talk to them, they can help you find your parents. What do you say?"

Brother and sister exchanged looks and after a moment the boy sighed. Turning back to Genis he asked, "If you're wrong and they can't find our parents…will they still let us leave?"

"Well, they'll probably try and talk you out of it out of fear for your safety, but they won't keep you prisoner. That I can promise you."

"Let's do it, Johnny." The girl said, still holding protectively onto the baby in her arms.

Johnny turned to his sister. "I'm sorry Teri, I just really miss mom and dad."

"We'll find them soon. I'm sure they're all right."

Genis smiled and nodded, leading the two back out into the clearing. As soon as they rejoined Luccia and Kamai, the adults thanked Genis for bringing them back and promised they would do everything that could to find Johnny and Teri's parents.

It just so happens that when they made that promise, the parents in question spotted their children and called out to them from far off on the other side of the celebrating crowd. Tears were shed and blessings were counted as the family was reunited once more. It seems that the village where the family lived had come under attack by Zaichar's dark angels and in fear for their children, the parents sent them to hide while they attempted to protect their home.

In all the confusion, the children got lost and ended up passing out from hunger when Kamai found them. The parents thanked both Luccia and Kamai for their kindness and promised to help find good parents who would want to adopt some of the orphans. Sheena and Zelos even joined in and offered to spread the word throughout Mizuho and the other villages in order to find homes for all the children.

Genis watched all this from the sidelines and smiled. Even with small changes such as this, he knew his sister was smiling down on him and it made carrying on a little easier. He would always think of her and miss her terribly, but her spirit would always be there to guide him down the path of light.

_Garden of the Goddess_

Lloyd slowly walked through the garden of the goddess located next to Meltokio Castle. No longer kept daily, the plants had all died and flowers withered away into brown unrecognizable shrubbery. The castle that once served as his personal base and throne room, but now that he'd defied the darkness and returned to the light, it was only a broken down ruin of reminders. At the end of the path he walked, two gravestones were erected in silent memory. Kneeling before them, he read them names off in his head, instantly remembering the good times he'd shared and the tragic moment each faced at his hands.

"Kratos Aurion – caring father and protector"

"Colette Brunel – dear friend and companion"

_So I guess I didn't change anything after all…_

When Lloyd sighed and closed his eyes to block out the sorrowful scene, he clenched his hand in despair. Maybe his future couldn't be saved after all. Opening his eyes, he noticed with a frown a small wilted flower attempting to grow next to Colette's grave. Watching it closely, he saw the color start to change from brown to yellow and the wrinkled petals smoothed out and became lively once more.

"What the…?" In front of him the headstones of his friend and father slowly faded from view, giving him a shock and he rose to his feet in confusion. "What's going on?" All around him the dead plants and flowers began to rejuvenate and regain their color. Reds, blues, yellows and plenty of green sprouted up all around him and it seemed life itself had breathed upon the dying land. The transformation flowed out like a wave in all directions, the castle itself becoming a pristine white once more and fallen rubble faded only to be replaced by newly built walls.

Lloyd couldn't believe it and was at a loss for words. If this wasn't enough, certain presences entered his senses and he didn't dare turn around to see if his mind was playing tricks on him.

So instead, the people in question walked up to him and stopped a few feet back. "Any particular reason for this quiet contemplation?" A low voice asked.

"Yeah, too much think from you can never be a good thing." A female voice giggled.

His heart beating somewhere near his throat, Lloyd turned around and almost fell over in shock as Kratos and Colette – fully alive and well – smiled before him. "Y-you…you guys…"

"What's wrong Lloyd? You look like you've seen a ghost." Colette coked her head to the side.

In a sudden burst of emotion, Lloyd rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her in a crushing hug. "It…it's just been so long since I've seen you."

"Well, yeah you went on that diplomatic mission to Luin all those weeks ago and didn't bother to tell us that you were back! I should be mad at you!"

"That makes two of us!" A new voice entered the conversation.

Looking up as he released his hold on Colette, Lloyd was once again surprised to see a grown version of Sheena and Zelos approach, a small bundle in the ninja's arms. Next to her, Zelos smiled proudly. "You missed the birth of our first little one."

As they joined the group, Sheena passed Lloyd the new born baby. "Her name is Lucy, after her grandmother."

Lloyd looked up from the baby and asked, "You mean…you know?"

"Of course I know. You told me before you left. What you already forgot? I spent the first week you were gone hunting them down in Gauracchia forest."

_So much is different. I don't know how I'll be able to adjust. It doesn't seem like anyone else remembers the change except me._ Sheena had actually been the one responsible for part of his success. When he'd decided to go back in time and fix everything, Sheena had attempted to stop him – being one of the few survivors of his friends. She thought he was going on a mission for Zaichar, but when he'd told her the truth, it took some time but…she ended up trusted him. And it was Sheena who'd told him the phrase in order to convince the past her of his validity. Thankfully it'd worked and the Sheena of the past trusted him enough to go to the shrine of Origin and stop Megami – ultimately saving Zelos.

Now the two of them were married and had themselves a little baby girl. The infant cooed in Lloyd's arms and seemed completely relaxed. The child, who was not able to come into their world previously, was now able to grow and mature with loving parents and a regenerated world that would not judge her for her blood or her race, but for her heart.

"Hey, where's Genis?" Lloyd wondered.

"What, missing me already?" A more mature voice replied.

From behind Zelos stepped up a tall, long haired mage dressed in blue and white robes that reached down to the floor. He carried with him the recognizable mother of pearl rod that once belonged to Professor Raine. "G-Genis? Is that you?"

Laughing, Genis came up to Lloyd's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. Suddenly in his mind, Lloyd heard his best friend's voice. _Don't worry. All is well in this world's time. You did well. _

Eyes going wide, Lloyd met the mage's blue gaze and instantly understood he knew. Somehow he knew. _He sure has gotten powerful._

"As have you, my friend. As have you." Genis replied with a wink.

So now two timelines exist where one individual has learned that the strength of the heart is powerful enough to overcome any darkness and with that knowledge both will move forward to what they know will be a very bright future indeed.

THE END


End file.
